Led By Grace
by janissima
Summary: A mission to explore an ancient temple goes awry. Separated from her team mates and injured, Sam finds herself accepting the assistance of a familar figure. Is she just a hallucination, or is she real? Now Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Led By Grace**

_Summary: This story takes place in season 7, some months after Death Knell. A mission to uncover the secrets of an ancient temple goes awry. Separated from her teammates and injured, Sam encounters a familiar figure. Is she once again just a hallucination?This is an attempt to more fully delve into the character of Grace and what she might mean to Sam. There will be some Sam/Jack moments but nothing too shippy this time...more in keeping with what we saw in season 7. There is also mention of Pete, but he doesn't make an actual appearance. I've listed this fic under action/adventure but I consider it more adventure than action. There will also be some humor, angst, mystery...my standard stuff! Hope you enjoy - let me know what you think! _

**Chapter 1 – Insects and Insecurities**

Colonel Jack O'Neill swatted his hand in irritation at the insect that buzzed persistently around his head. His feelings of annoyance rose considerably as the rather large bug avoided his flailing hand and flew closer to his face. Muttering a curse, Jack whipped his hat off, stopped in his tracks, and flailed angrily at the flying insect. "Who in the hell decided we should come to this bug infested planet?" he shouted, all the while flapping his hat rather uselessly at the insect.

Major Samantha Carter, trying to hold in a grin, replied, "General Hammond did, Sir. He was rather intrigued by the UAV surveys we got back, as were we all. If you recall…"

"I recall just fine, thank you very much Carter," Jack cut her off shortly. He ceased his swatting, placed his hat rather abruptly on his head, and resumed their trek toward the ruins that lay at least another 8 clicks to the north. They had been traveling for 2 hours in the hot, humid weather that seemed to pervade this particular planet. While P7J-413 didn't have quite the allotment of trees that always caused the colonel to issue a sarcastic comment or two, it did contain numerous boggy marshes, which seemed to be overpopulated by buzzing, flying critters of all shapes and sizes. Jack shuddered slightly…he didn't want to think about them anymore, yet could hardly avoid it as yet another alien species dove toward his head.

"Carter! Didn't we pack any insect repellant?" he stopped his forward progress once again and turned to glare at his 2IC. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he took in the rest of his team, who all stood watching him with rather amused expressions on their faces. "Why is it these damned things aren't buzzing around the three of you?" he asked, not waiting for Sam to answer his first question, instead fruitlessly swatting once again.

"I believe your ceaseless movements are attracting them, O'Neill," Teal'c intoned dryly. "Or perhaps it is the new cologne Cassandra purchased for your most recent birthday," he added helpfully.

Daniel snorted at that comment, glad for once not to be on the receiving end of one of Cassie's rather embarrassing gifts. Jack had been more than a little mortified when Cassie had given him a bottle of the newest male cologne, designed to attract women 'like flies', or so their ad stated. Jack shot Daniel a glaring look before returning his gaze to Sam. "Well Carter? Insect repellant?"

Sam shook herself slightly as she too remembered Cassie's gift. Offering him an apologetic smile, she reached into her pack. "I did advise you to use some as soon as we left the platform, sir," she reminded him. "Daniel, Teal'c and I liberally applied the repellant. I'm sure that's why they aren't bothering us." As she handed him the repellant, she gave him a thoughtful look. "Though, Teal'c might be onto something with that cologne theory of his, Sir" she added somewhat cheekily.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her, somewhat taken aback at her teasing. He thought perhaps he was beginning to wear off on her. Deciding to ignore her comment for the moment, Jack stepped away from them and sprayed himself quite profusely, muttering rather loudly, "These things are the worst insects I have even seen."

"On the contrary, O'Neill," Teal'c stated rather imperiously. "Do you not remember the large insect on BP6-3Q1 that stung me several years ago?"

Jack winced in remembrance. "Yeah T. I guess those things were much worse."

"Indeed," came the short reply, accompanied by a narrowing of eyes, as if Teal'c couldn't believe that Jack could ever have forgotten that particular incident.

Jack tossed the repellant back to Sam. "Well, at least you have to agree that these things are worse than the _tiny_ little mosquitoes up at my cabin; which you made a rather huge issue out of, big guy."

Teal'c straightened his shoulders and looked past Jack. "The mosquitoes at your lake were most annoying, O'Neill. They persisted in trying to suck the very essence out of my body. These appear to be rather harmless in comparison."

Sam and Daniel both turned their heads away, trying to control the laughter that threatened to burst forth. They were not completely successful as Daniel let a snort of laughter out, which did not go unnoticed by their intrepid leader. But, rather than prolong this rather inane discussion and possibly provoke his large, Jaffa friend, Jack decided to return to the business at hand.

He cleared his throat, "Yes, well. I believe if we want to make it to these ruins before nightfall, we'd better get a move on it. I do recall from the briefing that the days are relatively short on this planet." He shot a look at Carter, daring her to contradict him. When she said nothing, just looked at him expectantly, he continued. "Teal'c, you take point for a while; I'll cover our six. Daniel, Carter – no more lollygagging; let's shake a leg."

"Uh Jack, you were the one who needed to stop. Not us," Daniel reminded him pointedly. Sam, noticing the tightening of Jack's jaw, prodded Daniel forward with a hand between his shoulder blades, mumbling quietly to him, "Not _now_." Sometimes, Daniel didn't know when to give it a rest, and this was definitely one of those times. Hot weather, argumentative archeologists, and annoying insects were just not conducive to make one Jack O'Neill a happy camper.

-----

The four members of SG-1 were dripping with sweat, their breathing heavy as they crested the top of a large hill and paused at the top. They had been walking almost non-stop for the last 4 hours and were ready to drop from exhaustion. Jack had been intent on reaching the ruins before nightfall. The UAV had indicated the ruins would lie in a valley a good distance from the gate, and so Jack had pushed the group harder than he might have, considering the weather and the amount of daylight they had. He'd also been rather keen on leaving the swamps and insects far behind! While their preliminary scans had indicated no signs of hostiles, or human life forms in general, one could never be too certain. Jack wanted to have their perimeter staked out and camp set up long before darkness fell.

Though he had pushed hard, he had watched Sam carefully for any signs that he might be pushing _too_ hard. It had only been a few months since her fight for survival at the Alpha site and, while she had been cleared for active duty, Jack had the feeling his 2IC wasn't quite up to par as of yet. But Major Carter, being the stalwart soldier that she was, didn't offer up a complaint at the pace, nor did she show any signs of fatigue. Until now.

From her vantage point on top of the hill, Sam took a careful look around, surveying the area for danger, before sliding against the trunk of a rather impressive looking tree, muttering a grateful, "Thank God!" before pulling her canteen to her lips and taking a long drink. She subtly stretched and flexed her sore left leg, trying to ease some of its stiffness away.

While Jack and Teal'c did a more thorough survey of the area, Daniel sat down beside Sam, offering a quiet, "You OK?" When she nodded in the affirmative, despite the grimace that had just crossed her face, he frowned at her in concern and then took a long drink from his own canteen. Daniel let his gaze wander from his friend to the scene below, a mix of worry for Sam and curiosity in his surroundings on his face.

The hill they were currently residing on gently sloped down into a valley below. To the left, a small lake glittered as the sun began its slow descent. To the right, a copse of trees clustered around the top of a steep ravine. And directly in the center of the small valley, a temple, rather small for such a structure, stood in the waning light. One side was bleached white from the sun, the other dark in appearance. Four tall columns graced the front of the structure, standing as sentinels for the many years the temple had stood in this valley.

"Greek?" Sam asked questioningly as she too looked down at the temple.

"Not sure," Daniel said, frowning in thought. "It could be Roman, or any number of cultures really. I won't know until we get down there and take a closer look."

"Well, that's no going to happen until tomorrow kids," Jack stated as he came up to where they were sitting. "We need to head down and make camp before the sun sets. You two ready?" Though he asked both of them, his eyes rested on Sam, waiting for her answer.

Sam replaced her canteen and looked up at her commanding officer. "Ready, sir." She was somewhat startled when he offered her a hand up but after a momentary pause, took it and let him help her to her feet. Slightly embarrassed at the attention, she muttered a quiet, "Thank you, Sir," before brushing of her pants and readying herself for the climb down.

Jack purposefully directed his next comment to include Daniel and Teal'c. "Ok, kids. Down we go. We'll set up camp near the lake. Hopefully it contains drinkable water. Maybe even some fish!" he added cheerfully.

Sam and Daniel rolled their eyes at each other as they walked past him and began the descent down the hill. Daniel made sure to stay close to Sam; wanting to offer his assistance should she require it.

Once they were on flat ground again, Jack led the way to where he thought the most suitable place to camp would be. He dropped his pack in the middle of a large, grassy area, about 30 yards from the lake. The temple was about 150 yards from their site and appeared larger to him now that they were down in the valley. Chuckling at the thought of what Sam would say were he to voice that particular comment, he turned instead to give everyone their tasks in setting up camp.

Jack frowned as he noticed Sam's slight limp as she walked across the clearing and set her pack down next to his. He knew she was hurting and was a bit frustrated that she hadn't said anything. Even after seven years together, Sam Carter felt she had to prove her worth and strength to her teammates. Sighing quietly, Jack addressed his team.

"Danny, T, I need you to set up the tents. I'll get a fire going and some food cooking. Carter, I want you to check the lake and let me know if the water's drinkable." Daniel and Teal'c got right to their tasks, but Sam stood and looked at Jack in puzzlement. Normally, he didn't have her check the water until after camp had been set up; it wasn't a task that required much physical effort, or much time.

Jack, noticing that she hadn't moved, came over to stand by her. "Carter? Is there a problem?"

Sam frowned. "Are you sure you want me to check the lake right now, Sir? Shouldn't I help Daniel and Teal'c with the tents? Or maybe start setting up my equipment?"

"No. I want you to run your tests on the water, before it gets dark." His tone indicated he didn't want an argument. He knew she had probably figured out why he set her that particular task for right now, but didn't want to waste time discussing it. He was right – she had figured it out.

Narrowing her eyes, Sam said, "With all due respect, Sir, I am more than capable of helping set up camp. I don't need to be coddled," she stated, a hint of anger in her voice.

"I know that Major," Jack replied in an even tone. "But I also know that your leg is hurting you right now. AH!" he held up a hand as she made to interrupt him. "You've only recently been cleared for duty and I pushed us pretty hard today. God knows how long we'll be here, and digging around in that temple to boot. I want you rested and at 100 percent tomorrow, do I make myself clear?"

Though she still wanted to argue her point, she knew that tone of voice and so acquiesced to his command. "Yes, sir," she mumbled as she turned to collect the equipment she would need and made her way down to the lake.

_God, she was stubborn_, Jack thought to himself as he watched her walk away. _A good quality for a 2IC… most of the time_, he thought with a smile as he turned away to complete his own tasks.

After a quick meal of MRE's, some discussion about tomorrow's plan to explore the ruins, and the assigning of night watches, Sam made her way tiredly to the tent she would share with Teal'c. Though she didn't like being singled out for special considerations at any time, she had to admit to herself that she was rather glad Jack had given her the last watch. She was looking forward to 6 uninterrupted hours of sleep after the long trek they had made today. Taking off her jacket and boots, Sam quickly downed some pain medication for her throbbing leg and climbed into her sleeping bag. As she burrowed deeper into its warmth, she heard the wind begin to pick up in the trees across the valley. Drifting off, she thought she heard the voice of a child singing, the soft voice carried away in the wind.

Sitting alone by the fire, Jack raised his head and looked beyond the temple toward the trees. He frowned and cocked his head, trying to make out the sound he heard. It almost sounded like a child, he thought, before shaking his head and making a noise of disgust at himself. Maybe he shouldn't have taken first watch; he was obviously more tired than he thought!


	2. Mysteries Within the Temple

_Thanks so much for the reviews for the first chapter. Your comments have inspired me to get the second chapter posted sooner than I had originally planned. Let the adventure begin!_

**Chapter 2 – Mysteries Within the Temple**

Sam was awake as soon as Teal'c touched her leg. Glancing at her watch, she frowned as she saw that it was an hour past her turn to stand watch. Quietly, so as not to awaken the men in the next tent, she whispered, "Why didn't you wake me earlier, Teal'c?"

"I was not tired, Major Carter, and so did not mind staying on watch longer than was originally agreed upon. I believe you needed the extra rest," he stated matter of factly.

Sam's frown deepened. What was it with the guys lately, acting like she was some green recruit or something? "Teal'c, I'm more than capable of doing my share," she reminded him a bit curtly as she slithered out of her sleeping bag and put her boots on, wincing slightly at the stiffness in her leg.

"Of that I am very aware, Major Carter," Teal'c replied, not missing the flinch. "But a good warrior knows both his weaknesses and his strengths. And in times of need, he is willing to accept the assistance offered by his comrades."

Sam looked Teal'c in the eye, marveling at both the wisdom he so often displayed in a few words and his attempt to offer help without drawing unnecessary attention. Smiling slightly, she finished tying her boots and grabbed her jacket. "Thanks Teal'c," she said quietly as she passed him, putting a hand on his shoulder to impart her gratefulness to him. Teal'c merely smiled and bobbed his head at her before lying down to rest.

An hour later, Sam could hear the men begin to stir so she set some water to boil and took out food for breakfast. Oatmeal and coffee this morning – yum! Jack exited his tent first, stretching and yawning loudly. "AHH, a beautiful morning on P7… something or other. Blue skies, warm breeze, and no pesky insects. Couldn't ask for more!" He turned to greet Sam. "Morning Carter, how are you this fine day?"

Sam smiled at him, amused by his rather cheerful morning greeting, as he was not always a morning person…sometimes quite the contrary. "I'm fine, Sir. Breakfast should be ready in 10."

"Now that's what I like to hear." He came over and sat next to her on one of the logs they had rolled over to the campsite last night. Turning slightly, he regarded her carefully, all teasing gone from his eyes. "How's the leg?" he asked without preamble. His gaze never wavered as he carefully scrutinized her for any signs of discomfort and waited for an answer.

Sam looked away for a moment before once more meeting his gaze. Knowing that the condition of each team member was essential to the outcome of the mission, she answered him truthfully. "It's still a little stiff, but a lot better than last night. As long as we're not hiking 10 kilometers today, it should be fine," she smiled at him in reassurance.

Jack gave her a smile before he slapped his thighs and stood up. "Well, no danger of that happening. We're scheduled to explore the temple for several days at least, so looks like you'll get your wish. No hiking – just looking at rocks!" he grinned down at her. "Now, I need to visit the little boy's room. If Daniel's not out in 5 minutes, you have permission to withhold his morning coffee," Jack quipped.

"That's not about to happen, Jack," Daniel called from the entrance to his tent. He ran a hand through his hair as he stood up. "Besides, Sam would never follow that order, would you Sam?"

Sam held up her hands, "Don't get me involved in this; I'm just the cook this morning."

"Heaven help us all," Jack muttered good-naturedly as he began to leave the campsite.

"I heard that sir!" Sam called after him, rolling her eyes when she heard his unmistakable laughter as he walked away.

-----

Two hours later, within the coolness of the temple, Sam was a picture of concentration as she set up some of her portable lab equipment. Along with studying the ruins to see if they held information that might be key in defeating Anubis or the Goa'uld, Sam had been instructed to ascertain whether there were any unusual energy readings being emitted from either the temple or the surrounding area. Her preliminary investigation in the vicinity of the temple had indicated faint energy readings along and possibly below the ravine. She wasn't certain if she was picking up the presence of naquadah or not; most likely she would have to take a trip down the ravine to find out. Something she was not looking forward to doing…or telling the Colonel about.

For now, though, Sam was running scans on the interior of the temple while Daniel was in his glory, translating the pictures and inscriptions that adorned the interior walls.

"I have never seen anything like this!" he exclaimed from the far corner of the large central room in which they were currently working. Jack didn't want any of them venturing too far initially; which was fine for the moment. The central room, about 20 by 25 feet, held enough to keep both Sam and Daniel busy for the moment. Teal'c slowly circled the room while they worked, keeping an eye on them as well as looking closely at the pictures that adorned the walls.

"What is it Daniel?" Sam asked, standing up and brushing her hands against her legs.

Daniel spared her a glance before going back to his investigation. "Over here," he pointed to the writing directly next to him, "Is an inscription in Ancient Roman. Over there, is Greek, over there; Mayan. It seems that each panel in this temple contains a separate language. Look – Egyptian!" he called excitedly as he made his way to another panel within the room.

"That's odd," Sam mused aloud. "Why so many different languages in one temple?"

Daniel spun around, his eyes bright with excitement. "My God! This could be a central meeting place, or where they held a summit! The Ancients could have come here after leaving Earth and written down what they felt was significant about each culture!"

"That's all well and good, Danny, but do you have any idea what any of these panels actually say?" Jack asked, coming up behind him and looking with interest at the walls. Usually, he didn't find this kind of thing at all interesting; quite the opposite in fact. But this, this was something rare indeed – for there were 21 different panels surrounding the perimeter of the temple's interior, all in a different language if Daniel was correct. "And are you sure it was built by the Ancients?"

"I haven't had a chance to really translate many of the panels yet, but this one," he pointed to the panel written in ancient Egyptian, his specialty, "Says that all life, no matter how varied, is sacred. Knowledge of one another will bring peace and understanding. Intolerance will bring death and destruction. That sounds a lot more likely to be an Ancient speaking than a Goa'uld, don't you think?"

Jack frowned. "Maybe, but what the hell is it supposed to mean?"

"I'm not sure, Jack, but I think this might be an attempt by whoever built this to bring about peace."

Teal'c, who had been listening intently, cocked his head in thought, then spoke. "I have heard stories about such a place Daniel Jackson. Among the Jaffa, it was referred to as a Temple of Unity. Such places were believed to be constructed by the Ancients, in the hopes of one day, reuniting and celebrating the peaceful coexistence of many races. They were rumored to hold great power."

Jack perked up at this. "Power? Like big honking space guns power?"

"I do not believe that to be the case, O'Neill," Teal'c intoned with a raised eyebrow.

"Nuts," Jack muttered. "Why are there never any cool weapons to uncover in these places?"

"Jack, this is so much more important than a weapon! This is an attempt to unite people and show them what's important! Knowledge and understanding are the keys to peace – are in fact the most powerful thing one could hope to achieve!" Daniel reiterated, his voice rising in his desire to make Jack understand the significance of the temple.

"Yeah, well, I know enough about the Goa'uld and Anubis and have no desire to "unite" with either one of them. It's not like we can bring them here, sit down, and have an intelligent, non-confrontational discussion with them, Daniel," Jack replied sarcastically.

Sam, who had remained deep in thought throughout this discussion, spoke up. "I wonder if the Ancient's had something else in mind as well." Feeling three pairs of eyes turn to her in question, she continued. "This is just speculation of course, but what if the power that Teal'c referred to is not _just_ the power that knowledge can bring, but something different. Don't get me wrong, Daniel," she interjected quickly as Daniel sent her a betrayed look. "I agree that knowledge and understanding can be very powerful tools for peace. But I think there's something else going on here…a hidden puzzle if you will."

Daniel and Jack looked at each other in bewilderment while Teal'c just appeared deep in thought. Trying to explain where she was going, Sam walked over to the panel Daniel was standing near, the one in ancient Egyptian. "I noticed something when I first walked around the room. Each panel has a different symbol at the bottom; almost like a gate symbol really, but most of these are not familiar to me. And this small mark next to it," she pointed to a mark underneath the symbol. "This could be a numerical system, based on the subtle change from one to the next. I'm wondering if it's a code of some sort; something that they meant to keep hidden for themselves until such a time as they might need it. Or if someone else needed it."

"Like a big honking space gun?" Jack asked hopefully. "We definitely need one of those!"

Sam shot him an amused smile. "I doubt it Sir, but who knows."

Daniel looked doubtful. "I think you might be stretching here, Sam."

Sam shrugged, "Maybe. But there is something else here; my portable scanners are picking up faint energy readings from within the temple."

All business once again, Jack came over to her. "Can you tell what it is?"

"No sir, but it seems to be coming from somewhere other than this main chamber." Sam walked over to a dark corridor that branched off of the main room. She held her flashlight and illuminated the hallway. "I think we're going to have to go down these corridors, Sir. See what's down there."

Jack sighed. "Yeah, I knew you were going to say that eventually." He was rather hoping they wouldn't have to do that just yet as it meant splitting the group up. There was not just one corridor leading away from the main chamber, but two, and they were equally dark, crumbling and rather eerie looking, though Jack wouldn't admit that last fact in a million years. He sighed again. "Ok, let's take a break, then we'll explore the corridors. Hopefully we'll find something other than flowery words about peace and understanding."

Daniel grunted at that comment, then turned back to study the panels. A few minutes later, Jack called him over to eat something before they set off to explore more of the temple.

--------

Jack stood peering down the closest tunnel, frowning in thought. Daniel was going to stay in the main chamber in order to continue translating the panels. He wanted to leave Teal'c with him, as Daniel was notorious for getting into trouble. That meant both he and Sam went down one tunnel together, then the next, or they split up and each took one. Since splitting up was not something he was willing to do at this point, the first option was the one they would go with.

Jack turned back to Teal'c and Sam, who stood waiting patiently for his decision. "OK, here's the deal. Carter and I will explore this corridor first, come back and report, then go down the next one. T, I want you to stay here and keep an eye on Danny, but keep your radio on in case we need you."

"Jack," Daniel interrupted, "I am perfectly capable of being on my own for the 30 minutes it will take you to explore the corridors. You'll get done twice as quickly if Teal'c takes one hallway and you and Sam take the other."

"Yes, Danny, I know that. I also know your knack for getting into… situations. No, none of us split up. We don't know for sure if this temple was erected by the Ancients or the Gou'ald, and I am not willing to walk into a trap if it's the latter," Jack stated decisively.

Daniel looked at Sam and shrugged in acceptance before turning back to the panel he was currently studying. Teal'c handed Sam her pack before saying, "I will remain on alert, O'Neill."

"OK. We'll check in every 15 minutes and hopefully be back in 30. Ready Carter?" he asked as he clipped his weapon onto his vest and tightened various other straps.

"Ready Sir," Sam responded, taking her flashlight in hand and turning it on.

"All right then, off to see the wizard," Jack quipped as he turned on his own flashlight and led the way down the first corridor.

------

"Could this place be any less creepy?" Jack asked as they slowly meandered down the long, dark corridor. Spider webs hung from various corners, stretching aimlessly across the hallway and brushing against their faces. Jack irritably brushed yet another of the sticky webs away from his face as he came to a stop beside Sam. She was leaning over, brushing at something on the wall.

"There's another one of those symbols here, sir, just like the ones at the bottom of the panels. They have to mean something," Sam muttered to herself, though Jack heard her quite clearly in the close confines of the corridor. They had made their way about halfway down the corridor in the last 15 minutes, taking the time to stop and examine the symbols that were chiseled into the walls every 15 feet or so. Jack had just radioed back to Teal'c to let him know of their progress and was relieved to hear that nothing untoward had happened to Daniel…yet.

Sam took out a small notebook and copied down the symbol, as she had done with the previous ones. Then she straightened and turned, bumping into Jack rather abruptly. "Oh! Sorry Sir," she stammered, thankful for the darkness that hid her blush. "I didn't realize you were standing right there." Jack had come up behind her to peer over her shoulder at the newest symbol and hadn't backed away in time. His hand had automatically come out to grasp her arm in order to steady her.

"No problem, Carter," he replied, looking down at her and holding her gaze a bit longer than necessary, before looking away and clearing his throat. "You ready to continue the grand tour? I'm sure there are more of these interesting symbols down the way; oh about another 15 feet or so?" He let his arm drop to his side as he stepped out of the way to let her pass.

Sam chuckled as she passed him, glad for the light-hearted comment from her CO. Though they had been working together for seven years now, they occasionally came across these awkward moments, where she felt something besides friendship stir within her at their close proximity, and she had to work hard to quell the feelings.

Jack watched her pass him and grimaced in self-recrimination. He too, had felt the awkward moment. Had in fact wanted to look into her eyes for a few minutes longer, but had to force himself back to the present. Even since her disappearance aboard the Prometheus and her recent near-miss at the Alpha site, Jack found his thoughts turning to Sam more and more. He felt more protective, more worried, and more hopeless in the face of their situation. Add that Pete character into the mix, and Jack was a bundle of nerves; spending long hours in the gym in order to work off some of the increased stress he'd been feeling lately. He was probably in the best condition of his life because of it; minus the knees of course!

Shaking himself from his reverie, Jack followed Sam on their slow trek down the corridor. As predicted, she came to a stop another fifteen feet down the long passageway. Sam shined her light on the symbol in front of her, then across at the opposite wall, wrinkling her brow in confusion at what she found there.

"Something wrong, Carter?" Jack came to a stop beside her and followed her light to the opposite wall.

"Not something so much wrong, as _unusual_, Sir. This corridor has symbols every fifteen feet or so, on the left side here," she began to explain.

"Yeah, I got that part Carter. Have I not been stopping while you copy the symbols in your little book there?"

Sam threw him an exasperated glance before continuing. "Yes, sir. But this time, the symbol is on _both_ sides of the corridor; and it's the same symbol. It's got to be significant somehow," she muttered to herself.

"Well, we'll let Danny help us figure out what it might or might not mean. You just copy them down and we'll be on our merry way. Don't forget, we have a whole other corridor to explore!"

Sam nodded and went to work, quickly copying the symbol then taking a moment to brush her hand over its surface. When Jack walked ahead of her a few feet, shining his light down the corridor to see how much further they had to go, Sam crossed to the other side to more closely examine the other symbol. While they both looked the same at first glance, there were some differences. Both symbols consisted of a circle with three lines that intersected within its center, forming a small triangle. The symbol on the right side of the corridor had something additional; five small lines on the top of the circle, shooting out like rays from the sun. They also appeared to be more deeply carved into the wall.

Sam lightly brushed her fingers over the five lines at the top of the circle, one at a time, comparing their depth to that of the circle and to the symbol on the opposite wall. Jack had turned at that moment, shining his light on her, to see her hand on the wall. "Carter! What have I said about touching things?"

His sharp voice startled Sam so that she lost her balance and inadvertently pressed her hand into the middle of the circle. She pulled her hand back quickly, but it was too late; with an ominous rumbling, the floor beneath her dropped suddenly. Sam had time to throw Jack a look of panic, hear his equally panicked shout of "Carter!" before she disappeared beneath the floor and the tile closed up, covering the place she had been standing.


	3. Into the Darkness

_Jack's sharp voice startled Sam so that she lost her balance and inadvertently pressed her hand into the middle of the circle. She pulled her hand back quickly but it was too late; with an ominous rumbling, the floor beneath her dropped suddenly. Sam had time to throw Jack a look of panic, hear his equally panicked shout of "Carter!" before she disappeared beneath the floor and the tile closed up, covering the place she had been standing._

**Chapter 3 – Into the Darkness**

After the initial drop, Sam felt herself sliding down an inclined ramp, not free falling, which in one corner of her brain she had half expected. The tumble was not gentle however; the slope seemed to twist and turn many times, causing Sam to careen into the walls on either side, banging various parts of her body into the hard, stone surface. After what felt like hours, but was actually mere minutes, Sam felt the dreaded sensation of freefall that she had been initially anticipating. The ramp seemed to disappear from under her as she fell, a drop of about 10 feet, where she landed unceremoniously in a heap against a brick wall. Her flashlight, which she had dropped in the initial plummet down the ramp, slid down after her and hit her in the front of the head. Being the heavy duty USAF issue flashlight that it was, it cracked against the front of her skull, causing Sam to moan loudly before she blacked out and crumpled to the ground.

-----

Jack's heart slammed against his chest in sheer panic as he saw Sam vanish beneath the large slab covering the floor. It all seemed to happen in slow motion; the look of panic on her face, his effort to run forward though it felt like he was stuck in cement, and finally Sam disappearing beneath the floor. "Sam!" he screamed again, not even noticing his shift from her surname to her first name. His voice reverberated off the stone walls in the corridor and echoed down to the main chamber. Instantly, his radio came to life.

"O'Neill! What has occurred?" came the concerned voice of Teal'c.

Jack had dropped to his knees, frantically digging at the stone block beneath him, searching for a way to open it and follow after Sam. He reached to his vest to reply to Teal'c, still clawing at the stone. "Teal'c, get down here. Carter's disappeared through the floor!" His voice was tinged with a note of panic that caused both Daniel and Teal'c to look at each other in foreboding before springing into action. Teal'c grabbed his and Jack's packs and his flashlight while Daniel grabbed his own gear and both men sprinted to the opening that Jack and Sam had entered not long ago.

They reached Jack's side in a matter of moments. Teal'c dropped their packs next to Sam's abandoned one and dropped to his knees beside Jack, who had stopped his frantic digging and was resting with his eyes closed, trying to compose his thoughts.

"Jack? What happened?" Daniel asked, his own voice taking on an edge of panic at finding Jack on his knees and Sam gone.

"She was standing here one minute, looking at the symbol on the wall, then gone the next." Jack brushed his hand wearily over his face. "Crap, I told her not to touch anything!" he said loudly, anger beginning to war with the panic he felt inside.

"Have you attempted to contact Major Carter by radio, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked Jack, who shook his head abruptly. "I was trying to move this stone… see if I could go after her."

Keying his own radio, Teal'c stated firmly, "Major Carter, do you read? Please respond."

The three men looked at each other worriedly when there was no response forthcoming. Teal'c tried once again and received the same empty silence in reply.

Daniel stood up to gaze more closely at the symbol on the wall, shining his light to illuminate the strange markings. "This seems to be the same marking as on one of the panels in the main chamber." He turned to look down at Jack, who had taken a thin tool from Teal'c and began trying to pry the stone slab away from the floor, with Teal'c lending his strength to the task. "Jack, what exactly happened before Sam disappeared?"

Jack sat back on his heels in frustration; the slab of stone wasn't moving an inch. He took off his hat and wiped his brow before answering. "We got to this section of the corridor and Carter was copying down the symbol on the left side." Jack shined his light across the passageway to show where Sam had been. "Then she crossed over to this side to do the same thing. We've found a new symbol every 15 feet or so along the corridor and Carter was copying them down. Only here, there was a symbol on this side as well." Jack took a deep breath before continuing. "I'd gone down the corridor a little way to see how much further we had to go. When I turned around, I saw Carter with her hand on the symbol and shouted at her not to touch it. The next thing I knew, the floor opened up and swallowed her whole," he finished, looking to the two of them. "I don't know where the hell she went, Daniel!" his voice filled with desperation and frustration.

"Major Carter must be below the surface of this corridor, O'Neill. If she dropped from sight, she could only have gone down," Teal'c stated as he surveyed the area, looking for a possible alternate means to get below the temple.

"Wait a minute," Daniel interjected. "You said she had her hand on the symbol before she disappeared, right Jack?"

"Yeah, a hand that should have been writing, not touching!"

Daniel chose to ignore that comment for the moment. "Did she push on the symbol at all?"

Jack frowned in thought. Those seconds had happened so quickly that he couldn't quite recall every detail, except for Sam's look of fear and panic, which was clearly etched into his brain. But he was almost certain that her hand had pressed into the wall when he called to her. Jack closed his eyes in self-recrimination as realization set in: he had in all likelihood caused this by startling her when he yelled at her.

"Jack?" Daniel softly interrupted his thoughts.

Jack opened his eyes, the guilt shining through, to meet the concerned gaze of Daniel. "Yeah, Danny. I'm pretty sure she pushed on the symbol."

Daniel, though puzzled by Jack's expression, gave a slight smile. "Simple then! We push the symbol as well, the floor opens, and we go find Sam."

Jack sighed. "You know things are never that simple for us, Daniel."

"Well, it's a place to start at least, right?" Daniel asked as he helped Jack to his feet.

"Can't hurt I guess. But everyone stand back – I don't want either of you disappearing like Carter to God knows where." All three of them made sure to stand clear of the large stone slab in front of the symbol. Jack stood to one side, Teal'c to the other, with Daniel standing to the back of it. "Ready?" Jack asked, his hand raised and ready to press the symbol. At their nods, he placed his hand gently over the symbol and pressed in.

While it gave in a little under the pressure, nothing happened. "Try again," Daniel instructed from his place to Jack's right. Jack shot him a look of impatience before pressing again…still nothing. "I told you this wasn't going to be easy!" Jack ground out between clenched teeth.

Daniel frowned in thought. "There has to be something else she did to activate it." He wandered over to the other symbol, studying it carefully. "Do you know if she touched this one too?" he asked over his shoulder.

"I don't know, Daniel. I wasn't watching her every second! I usually trust Carter not to touch things!" he snapped, his anxiety over Sam starting to make him lose his patience.

Daniel turned around and regarded his friend solemnly. "It's not like this is an alien device, Jack. It's a symbol etched in the wall. I'm sure Sam figured there would be no harm in examining its surface a little more closely."

"Yeah, and look where that thinking got her, Daniel!"

Knowing that O'Neill's mood was based on his concern for Major Carter, Teal'c nonetheless interrupted before things between the two men could escalate any further. "I am certain Major Carter will be found safely. But we must carefully plan our course of action and can not do that if there is dissension among us," he stated firmly, eyeing both men equally.

Jack sighed, throwing Daniel an apologetic look. "You're right Teal'c. So Daniel, your guess is that the slab moving might have had something to do with Carter touching both symbols?"

Daniel shrugged. "It's possible, especially since touching just the one didn't do it on its own. Should we try?"

"I believe that would be a wise course of action, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c answered for Jack. Jack raised his eyebrow at Teal'c but said nothing to the man; he was about to say the same thing anyway, though not quite so eloquently of course.

"Let's do it," Jack stated, moving back to the symbol they had tried first. With a nod, Jack indicated that Daniel should proceed. Daniel pushed on his symbol, then nodded to Jack, who pushed on the one he was standing at. Once again, nothing happened.

"Perhaps if you pressed them simultaneously?" Teal'c asked from his place by the slab where he waited for any indication that it was opening.

"That can't be it. Carter definitely couldn't push them both at the same time," Jack said in frustration. When Teal'c just raised an eyebrow in response, Jack huffed, "Fine, we'll try. Ready Daniel? On three…three, two, one, push." They pressed the symbols at the same time. This time something did happen, although not what they expected. A rumbling sound started at the far end of the corridor, causing loose rocks to crumble from the walls down to the floor. While the destruction didn't quite reach them, Jack ordered a retreat back into the main chamber, just to be safe.

A few minutes later, when the dust had cleared and they had all taken drinks of water to clear their throats, Jack stated, "Well, any more bright ideas?"

------

Sam slowly blinked her eyes as she came to, her hand automatically going up to her aching head, where she felt the beginning of a rather impressive goose egg starting to form. A slow trickle of blood dripped down from the spot as well. Sam groaned; Janet was so going to kill her. A third concussion in as many months did not make for a happy doctor.

Sam took stock first of her body; needing to ascertain if anything had been broken in her tumult down the ramp and subsequent fall against the wall. Flexing legs, arms, fingers and toes, Sam felt the normal aches that would accompany such a fall but nothing felt broken. Battered and bruised, yes, but broken, no. Shifting herself carefully into a seated position, Sam took a sharp gasp at the pain in her side and the accompanying dizziness that followed. Tentatively probing the area, she grimaced as pain and realization clicked in; fractured rib.

"Shit!" she muttered into the darkness. She had no pack with her so could do nothing to bind her ribs, nor did she have any pain killers with her. All she had was her canteen, which had been securely fastened to her hip, a few energy bars that were somewhat the worse for wear, a knife, a handgun, her notebook, which she had somehow managed to hold onto on her wild ride down the ramp, and the flashlight that shined innocently at her from its place on the floor.

She laid these items carefully in front of her, then reached out and grabbed the flashlight, shining it around the large, cavernous room she now found herself in. Like the temple, it was made of stone and built to stand for centuries. Sam seemed to be an alcove of sorts, as about ten feet in front of her, she saw the ramp leading down from the upper floor. Why it stopped ten feet above the floor, she had no idea. To her right, the room widened, revealing a few scattered cloths lying about, piles of rubble, and a door tucked into one corner of the room. On the far side of the room, directly across from where Sam was sitting, thin slats had been carved into the stone of the upper walls, giving off a faint light from beyond and emitting some fresh air that helped to dispel some of the stale air within the room.

As her flashlight once more chased away the darkness in the little alcove where Sam had landed, she gasped in dismay. Lying across from her was a skeleton; its gray bones and shreds of clothing indicating that, whoever it was, they had been here for a long time. Sam shuddered to herself as she took in the grim scene. She had seen many dead bodies over the years of her service to the Air force, but somehow, finding a skeleton staring at her vacantly in this dim room, was enough to send her heart thudding once more.

Every so slowly, Sam inched further away from the skeleton and tried to focus her attention elsewhere. She leaned tiredly against the wall, the pain and exhaustion from that little movement overtaking her. She closed her eyes and took deep, steadying breaths, trying to push away the nausea that seemed to come on strong in the last few minutes. She opened her eyes quickly as she heard a faint rumbling from above, followed by small pieces of stone falling into the room. After a few moments, the noise and the falling debris ceased, plunging her once again into deep silence, broken only by the sounds of her pained breathing.

Sam tried to take stock of her current situation, but her throbbing head wouldn't let her concentrate for more than a few seconds at a time. She did have the presence of mind to try her radio, though. Straightening up slightly, she reached for the instrument on her shoulder. As she grasped the object, she moaned in frustration. Even from touch, Sam could tell that the radio had been damaged beyond repair in her tumble down the ramp and would be of no use to her. Sam gave up thinking and trying anything for the moment, leaning back and closing her eyes once again as a wave of pain and dizziness overtook her. "I'll just rest for a few minutes, then get up and take a look around."

"You can't sleep," came a soft voice from across the room. "If you sleep, you will not wake up."

Sam's eyes flew open and darted around the room, looking for the source of the soft voice with the beam of light from her flashlight. She gasped with shock when her light found the familiar figure of a young girl wearing a white dress and regarding her with dark, solemn eyes.

TBC


	4. Grace

_Sam's eyes flew open and darted around the room, looking for the source of the soft voice with the beam of light from her flashlight. She gasped with shock when her light found the familiar figure of a young girl wearing a white dress and regarding her with dark, solemn eyes_.

**Chapter 4 - Grace**

Sam blinked her eyes in disbelief as the girl came closer and stood just out of her reach. "Great, I must have hit my head harder than I thought. I'm already hallucinating!"

The little girl cocked her head to one side. "What does lucinating mean?"

Sam frowned over at the figure as she took a seat on the ground near Sam, carefully rearranging her dress to cover her knees, then looking at Sam expectantly. "You know what it means. You're in my mind, a figment of my imagination, so you know everything I know…don't you?"

The girl just smiled sweetly and waited with an expectant look on her face. Her long, curly hair reached just past her shoulders and was a light brown in color. A white satin ribbon held it away from her face and highlighted her dark brown eyes, which seemed to hide a wealth of knowledge, along with a carefree innocence, within their depths. The smile looked familiar to Sam, but she couldn't place her finger on just why.

"Who are you?" Sam asked the same question she had back on the Prometheus several months ago.

"You know who I am. I'm Grace," came the soft answer, accompanied by an angelic smile.

"Yes, I know that you're Grace. But _who_ are you? Why are you here with me…again?" Sam asked desperately.

"I am here because you need me. You have to stay awake and help yourself until the others come for you."

Sam raised her eyebrows. "What others? Do you mean the rest of SG-1?"

Grace smiled once again. "They will never leave you behind. You are too important to them. But it might take them a little while to find you. So you should try to help yourself."

"Yeah, well, easier said than done," Sam replied caustically. "In case you haven't noticed, I've hurt my head again, and seemed to have cracked a rib."

"I know." Grace cocked her head to the side. "You seem to get hurt a lot, don't you? Maybe it's time for you to find another line of work."

Sam snorted at that, then clutched her left side in pain…she had been thinking much the same thing herself lately. But she wouldn't give this up, not for a while at least. Grace interrupted her thoughts once again. "You should drink some water, then come into the room. There are some cloths that you can use to bind your ribs."

Frowning in thought, Sam raised the canteen to her lips and took a drink before looking across the room. How had Grace known about binding her ribs with cloth, when Sam hadn't even thought of it yet? The idea must have lingered in the back of her mind, Sam thought to herself as she recapped the canteen and slowly rose to her feet, gripping her side in pain. She jumped in shock as she felt the small hands helping her to stand.

"How can you…you feel real! How is that possible?"

Grace smiled benignly at her. "Come on, I'll help you." Grace led Sam slowly to the center of the room, Sam limping along due to the renewed pain in her previously injured leg. Grace helped her sit on a pile of hay that was leaning against the wall closest to the door. The little girl then walked over to the pile of cloth, pulled a few tattered strips out, and walked back to Sam, who sat watching in stunned disbelief, not understanding how a figment of her imagination could be bringing things to her. "You must bind your ribs yourself. I can not help too much. That is for the others to do."

"I'm afraid I don't understand what's going on here," Sam mumbled in confusion as she took the strips of cloth from Grace but sat with them idly in her lap.

"You don't need to understand right now. You just need to stay strong," Grace replied, backing away from Sam and walking around the room, humming under her breath as she examined the walls and casting surreptitious glances to check if Sam was binding her ribs. "It's dark in here, isn't it? But I'm not afraid. My mother told me I shouldn't be afraid of the dark. It holds secrets and mysteries to solve, nothing more," she smiled bravely across the room at Sam.

Sam frowned in thought, remembering similar words that her mother had told her long ago. Shaking off the random thought, Sam took off her jacket, carefully easing her arms out of the sleeves. Figuring it would be much too painful to try and take her shirt off, never mind get it back on; she gingerly lifted it and tucked it into her bra for the time being. She moaned as she took in the already darkly bruised areas on her left side. "Well, this isn't good," she muttered to herself. "Janet's going to be none too pleased when I get back."

She shook out one of the strips of cloth, making a face at the musty smell that emanated from it. "I wonder how long these have been here?" She cast a quick glance at the skeleton in the corner. "And I hope to God this wasn't one of yours!" When the strip seemed clean enough for her purposes, Sam slowly began to wrap it as tightly as she could, just under her bra and down below her ribs. The effort this endeavor took wore her out, and she leaned back against the wall, breathing deeply while beads of sweat rolled down her face.

Grace came back over to Sam and squatted in front of her. "That looks good. You should take something for the pain now." Sam pulled her shirt down and gave Grace a look of consternation.

"Yeah, well, I don't really have anything with me…otherwise I would have done that already," Sam replied shortly, her eyes closing again with pain.

"Check inside your vest," Grace suggested with a tilt of her head.

Sam opened her eyes and frowned. She'd already gone through her pockets…hadn't she? Sam was having trouble focusing, her mind frantically trying to grasp what was happening and make some sense of it. Not having any success, Sam just did as the girl suggested. Reaching to one of the pockets on the inside of her vest, Sam felt the telltale small packet of pain meds and pulled them out, looking at them with surprise. Had they been there all along? She glanced over at Grace, who was giving her a smile of encouragement. "Take them," she said insistently.

Opening one of the precious packets, Sam shook out the two pain pills, knowing they wouldn't do a whole lot but would hopefully take the edge off of the pain. She popped them into her mouth and took another small gulp of water. She'd have to ration her water as well as the last 2 packs of pills, which she put safely back into the inner pocket of her vest. There was no telling how long she'd be stuck in here.

"You should rest now, but don't sleep yet," instructed the child as she settled on her knees.

Sam cast a wary eye at her small caretaker, wondering how long this apparition was going to hang around. "Why don't you… go play somewhere for a while? I'm just going to close my eyes for a few minutes."

Grace frowned in concern. "You can't sleep yet; not for a while. Please, don't sleep!" she begged, her brown eyes widening with fear.

"Hey, don't get all upset," Sam said softly, reaching out and fingering the eyelet on the hem of the little girl's dress. "I won't sleep. Just rest my eyes, OK? Why don't you… tell me a story?"

Grace sniffled lightly, trying to hold back the tears that had threatened to fall, before she replied. "All right. But don't fall asleep!" she said in a reproachful tone of voice. When Sam nodded her head, agreeing to the little girl's terms, Grace began. "I heard this story lots of times, I bet you have too. It's one of my favorites." She settled down more comfortably in front of Sam then began her story. "Once upon a time, there was a girl named Dorothy, who lived with her dog Toto, in a place called Kansas."

Sam smiled as Grace began the familiar story and settled herself against the wall.

---------

"Damn it, Daniel! Haven't you found anything yet that will tell us how to get to a lower level in this God-forsaken temple!" Jack fairly shouted across the main room of the temple, the anger and frustration evident in his tone. They had spent the last 5 hours trying desperately to find some way to locate Sam; all to no avail. The three men had searched outside the temple and along its foundation, down the second corridor, and back to the first one where Sam had initially disappeared. They had found nothing that would help them and Jack was getting close to the point where he was going to say the hell with it and plant C-4 on the floor of the first corridor. So far, Daniel had talked him out of that idea, but he might not hold out for much longer.

"I've found something that mentions a room below, which the Ancients used as a secret meeting place of some sort. There's mention of 'a place where secrets shall be revealed to those worthy of entrance'. But it doesn't say how _exactly_ to access this room," Daniel explained. He looked back at Jack, who was pacing the room in high agitation. "The symbols that Sam pressed are on this pedestal. _The symbol of knowledge will access the secret chamber, but only those with the knowledge of the Ancients shall gain true access.," _He quoted from where he was reading. "And this one states; _Two paths will mark the journey, but only one shall bring you to what you seek. _I'm not sure what that means, but at least we know that this place is Ancient, and not Goa'uld."

"Fat lot of good that's doing us at the moment…or Carter," Jack mumbled gruffly.

"I'm sorry Jack, I'm doing the best I can."

"I know you are Daniel," Jack brushed aside the apology. "I just feel so…useless standing around and not doing anything to find her! I'm starting to think the C-4 is the way to go right now."

"That will only succeed in bringing the temple down around us, O'Neill. It will not help Major Carter," Teal'c advised from his place near Daniel. He too was worried about their team mate, but wanted to keep his leader from making any rash decisions in his frustration.

All three men looked to the entrance of the temple when a strong wind blew in, causing the torches they had lit to flicker. From outside, they could hear the definite sounds of night, along with an approaching storm. Daylight was short on P7J-413, and it appeared as if night was on their heels.

"Jack," Daniel stated hesitantly, knowing what he was about to say would not be very well received. "It's getting too dark to see very well in here. I don't want to use up our batteries when we may need them longer than we thought." Daniel ignored the glare he received from Jack and hurried on. "There's no doubt in my mind that we'll find her, Jack. But I think we are going to have to wait until morning, when we get more natural light in here."

Teal'c nodded his head in agreement. "Daniel Jackson speaks the truth, O'Neill. We must gather our supplies and set up camp within these walls. We will rest, and begin our search again at first light."

"And what about Carter?" he snapped. "Do ya think she's got a bed, some food and water and is sitting around drinking coffee while she's waiting for us to find her?"

Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other, the pain and worry they felt for Sam clearly etched in the tired lines on their faces.

Jack sighed in frustration. He knew they had a point, and that they felt as badly about this situation as he did. Jack just didn't feel right bedding down for the night while Sam was missing. But his training kicked in and reminded him that he had to look out for the rest of the team as well, and they were obviously as exhausted as he was at the moment. "OK." Jack gave in. "Teal'c, you and I will go and gather what we think we'll need for the night. Danny, you keep working until we get back. We need to find a way down there first thing in the morning."

Both men nodded their agreement and set to their tasks, Daniel continuing to work by the waning light in the temple and Teal'c joining Jack to head to their campsite not far away. They would gather their belongings and return quickly, before the storm hit.

-------

Sam opened her eyes to find herself apparently alone once more in the chamber. The light from the slats high up in the walls had dimmed, telling her that night had come. She recalled the presence of the little girl; as if in a dream. The soft voice urging her to eat one of her energy bars and walking with her around the perimeter of the room as Sam tried to find a way out. When it appeared that Sam could no longer hold off the draw of slumber, Grace had backed away and let her slip into a restless sleep.

Sam groaned with pain as she tried to move away from the wall. The last few hours of sitting idle against the wall had stiffened her up. Pushing herself slowly to her feet, she held onto the wall while she got her bearings. While the room wasn't overly large and she had walked its perimeter earlier, she had been pretty much out of it and didn't recall any of the room's distinct features. Though in all actuality, there weren't too many; just the alcove where Sam had landed, the door embedded in the wall, the cuts high up on the wall, and a square depression in the wall across the room from the door.

Feeling a bit stronger than she had earlier, Sam walked over to the door that was settled into the wall on her right. It was made of a heavy metal, iron by the looks of it, and contained an indentation that Sam assumed once held a door knob, but now was empty. There was a small hole, about one and a half inches in diameter, where the knob may have been found. Peering into it, Sam saw nothing but blackness on the other side. She squatted down and shined her flashlight in while she looked, but could only make out another stone wall on the other side.

"You can't get out that way." Sam spun around in surprise, seeing Grace standing not 3 feet from her.

"I thought you left?" she asked the child in question.

Grace smiled. "Only for a while. You were sleeping. Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah, a little," Sam replied, walking away from the door and examining once again the walls of the room. "So, you don't happen to know how I can get out of here, do you?"

"You can not get out, someone else must come in."

"Great. Well, they are obviously not having much luck finding me, otherwise they'd be here already, wouldn't they?" Sam really wasn't sure why this child kept appearing to her. As far as Sam was concerned, she was an apparition; albeit once that seemed more real than Sam would like to think about. As such, her tone was becoming more and more impatient as she wondered to herself _why_ she kept conversing with this small figment of her imagination.

Smiling again, Grace stated, "They will come. They will not leave you here, especially the one you call Sir." Sam stole a quick glance at the girl at that comment but Grace had turned away. Hearing the distant rumble of thunder, she turned back to Sam. "It's storming outside. Do you like storms?"

"As long as I'm not caught out in them," Sam replied absently as she looked up to the slats. If only they weren't so high and were wider…

As if reading her thoughts, Grace said, "You can not climb up there; it is too high and the opening is too narrow."

Sam narrowed her gaze on the little girl. "I know that," she replied shortly. "Look Grace, or whoever you are, why are you here, and what do you mean, they wouldn't leave me here, especially the Colonel?"

"I have told you, I am here to help you. Come, you must rest," Grace held out her small hand, willing Sam to take it as she side stepped that last question rather adroitly.

Sam closed her eyes as another wave of dizziness washed over her. I must be losing it, she thought to herself, as she reached forward and took the little girl's hand in hers. Letting herself be led over to the straw, she sank down on it gratefully, surprised at how tired she felt once again.

She stretched out on the straw, resting her head on her arms and looked thoughtfully at the little girl. "How do you know about Colonel O'Neill?" she asked softly.

Grace smiled down at Sam. "You spoke of him in your sleep." Sam's eyes widened at that, thankful that this little girl wasn't real. How could she ever explain her feelings about the Colonel…whatever they might be…to this child? "You also mentioned someone named Pete, but only once." Sam frowned at the slight grimace that wrinkled the girl's nose, and then closed her eyes, trying to block out the penetrating look the child turned on her. She couldn't block out, however, the words that followed. "You are not sure about your feelings for these two," Grace muttered quietly. "I have always heard that a person should follow their heart, not their head," she stated firmly.

Sam's eyes flew open at that comment as she closely regarded Grace. Finally, she muttered, "It's a lot easier said than done," then her mind began to close down on her as she felt the pull of sleep. "Besides, I've already had this discussion…well, with myself," she said tiredly. "I've been keeping myself from experiencing happiness by focusing on something that I can't attain. Maybe now I'm trying to find that happiness."

"You have it wrong, you know. You may have heard what the Colonel said on the Prometheus, but you didn't really listen," the girl replied softly.

Sam frowned, wondering what Grace meant by that statement. But she couldn't think about it right now…she was just too tired. Eyes closed, Sam let herself relax fully as she felt a small hand running through her hair soothingly. She heard the sweet little voice softly singing _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, _as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Sam didn't hear the little girl whisper, "You sleep, Mommy. Everything's going to be all right," nor did she witness the child disappear from the room.

* * *

_Thanks for the reviews and your interest! Lots more to come! Some of this may seem murky for a while, but hang in there! All will eventually be revealed...one way or another:)_


	5. In the Quiet of the Night

**Chapter 5 – In the Quiet of the Night**

Jack gave up all pretense of trying to sleep as the storm outside continued to rage. Throwing aside his sleeping bag, he got to his feet and walked over to the corridor that he and Sam had investigated; the one that led off from the left of the main room. Looking at his illuminated watch, Jack noted that10 hours had gone by since Sam had disappeared beneath the floor. 10 hours in which he had accomplished nothing other than to set everyone's teeth on edge with his short-tempered impatience.

His mind kept replaying the same scene over and over; his yelling at Sam for touching the wall, her look of panic and fear as the floor disappeared beneath her, and her sinking from his sight. Jack closed his eyes and rubbed a hand across his tired eyes. "Where are you Sam?" he whispered to himself, a dark sense of desolation beginning to overtake him. He was beginning to feel as he did when they searched fruitlessly for her after the Prometheus went out of contact. Shaking himself from those thoughts, he muttered, "I'll find you, Sam. I'll find you."

"Jack?" he turned as Daniel's quiet voice called across the room to him. Teal'c didn't stir as Jack walked quietly over to his friend, though the absence of motion didn't mean the Jaffa was not awake.

"It's OK Daniel, go back to sleep," Jack assured the younger man quietly.

"What're doing?" came the mumbled question.

"Just couldn't sleep. Stormy night, you know," Jack replied cryptically.

"We'll find her, Jack," Daniel stated with conviction, not believing for a minute that the storm outside was keeping Jack awake. More likely the inner storm that was raging within him.

"Yes, we will," Jack whispered as he stood up. "Cause I'm not going home without her." Teal'c peered at Jack as he walked away, his eyes betraying the concern he felt for his friend. Teal'c locked eyes with Daniel; both of them offering the same silent promise to not return home without Sam.

Jack walked back to his bag and sank down, lowering his head to his hands as he thought about Sam's disappearance. It just seemed to get harder and harder for him to deal with his feelings as far as Sam was concerned. He hated seeing her in danger, in fact, went out of his way sometimes to ensure that she was in the least dangerous position possible on their missions. He was worried that before too long, he would be unable to command her; either because his actions would betray his feelings, or she would confront him. He wasn't stupid enough to think that Sam wasn't going to notice that he was becoming a bit selective in the assignments he doled out to her. Even though he knew that she was one of the best soldier's around, and would stand up to anyone who thought otherwise, he was becoming less and less able to separate that knowledge from his fear that she would one day be taken from him on a mission. He had in fact begun to worry that she was more important to him than the overall mission; and that was not a good thing for a CO to be thinking or feeling.

Lying down with a soft groan, Jack flung his arm over his head and tried to rest. He forced his mind to focus on the sound of the rain as it drummed steadily against the stone steps outside of the temple. He breathed deeply and relaxed as much as he possibly could in the circumstances. Though he didn't fall asleep, his body was able to gain some much needed rest for the day ahead.

It was almost an hour later when Jack heard a soft voice coming from down the other corridor. He sat up abruptly and turned toward the sound, listening as the voice got a little louder. He looked back to his companions to see if they had heard anything. Both had fallen back to sleep, their exhausted bodies refusing to let either man stay awake. Neither one stirred, indicating to Jack that they hadn't heard the sound.

Jack cocked his head as the voice got a fraction louder and his eyebrows went up as he heard the distinct words of a familiar song waft down the corridor to him.

_Somewhere over the rainbow  
Way up high,  
There's a land that I heard of  
Once in a lullaby. _

_Somewhere over the rainbow  
Skies are blue,  
And the dreams that you dare to dream  
Really do come true._

Swiftly rising to his feet, Jack grabbed his Zat gun and his flashlight and made his way warily to the corridor to the right of the room; the one that Sam had not had the opportunity to investigate before her disappearance. He left his P-90 behind; if there was a chance he might encounter someone, he didn't want them dead. There was always the chance that someone they found within the temple might be able to help him locate Sam. He also acknowledged the thought that he might just run into Carter…she had been known to get herself out of jams more than once after all! And he certainly didn't want to inadvertently shoot her with a P-90!

Jack edged his way cautiously to the corridor's opening and shined his light down the passageway. Seeing nothing, Jack proceeded at a snail's pace, listening for the soft voice that had abruptly stopped once he entered the area.

As he moved down the narrow passageway, Jack's flashlight jumped back and forth, searching the shadows for an explanation of the voice he heard. Catching a glimpse of white on the floor ahead of him, Jack made his way over and bent down to examine what had caught his eye. It was a white ribbon, long and made of soft satin. Jack frowned; this had definitely not been here earlier today when he, Daniel and Teal'c had explored this corridor.

Jack straightened up with a frown, wondering if he should just go back and get the guys, when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Jack's finger twitched on the trigger that would activate his weapon as he swung both his Zat and his light in the direction he saw the movement. His gasp was audible at the sight before him and he strangled out a "Who the hell are you?" even as he retained a grip on his gun.

For in front of Colonel Jack O'Neil, stood a small girl, no more than 8 years old, wearing a white dress, light brown hair falling in tumbles down her shoulders. Her eyes were large with fright as she held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. Jack's heart clutched at the sight and he lowered his gun accordingly. "Hey, take it easy, there. I'm not going to hurt you." He took a few steps closer, the said, "I just want to know who you are and where you came from."

The little girl studied him quietly, not responding yet to his questions. She slowly lowered her hands and took a tentative step forward. "Guns are very dangerous," she said quietly. "My daddy always says not to go near guns."

Jack gave her a soft smile. "Your daddy is a very smart man. Can you tell me where he is right now?" he asked gently as he let his Zat come to a rest against his side and lowered his light so that it wasn't shining directly into her eyes..

The little girl frowned at that question before giving him a firm, "No," in response.

"O-kay, then," Jack drawled out in confusion. Did she mean she didn't know where her father was, or she wouldn't tell him? He tried a different tactic. "What about your mother? Where is she?"

At this question, the child's eyes filled with disquiet and her lower lip started to tremble. "My mommy is hurt and stuck in a room under the floor. You need to come and get her out."

Jack studied this small child as her words registered in his mind. Her mother was under the temple somewhere….and so was Sam. What the hell was going on here? Perhaps he was sleeping? Jack pinched his arm and yelped at the contact, frowning as the child let loose with a soft giggle that was quickly covered with a hand over her mouth. Convinced that perhaps he was hallucinating, but determined to pursue this in any regard, Jack leaned his back against the wall and slid down so that he was seated, trying to make himself smaller and thus less threatening to the small child standing resolutely in front of him.

"I'm afraid I can't help you until I know a little more. You see, where I come from, people usually introduce themselves before they ask for help." He pretended to be tying his shoe while he asked the question, but still kept his gaze on her out of the corner of his eye.

The little girl stepped closer to him and gazed thoughtfully at him before cocking her head to the side. She seemed to be waiting for an answer from somewhere. Then she bit her lower lip, as if deep in though, before responding softly but firmly, "I'm Grace."

Jack looked at her then. "Pleased to meet you Grace. I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, but you can call me Jack," he smiled in encouragement.

Grace smiled at that, accompanied by that same small giggle, which reminded him of someone else he knew quite well. "No, I can't call you that," she said with another giggle.

"Why not? All my friends do, and I hope you'll be my friend, Grace," Jack replied with all seriousness.

"I just can't, sir," she replied and once again Jack's heart clenched, this time at the familiar form of address coming from the mouth of this little girl. The light in her eyes diminished as she once again thought of her reason for being here. "Will you please help my mommy? She fell through the floor and is now stuck in a room. She's hurt." Her eyes pleaded with him and in the back of his mind he thought that little girl's must be born knowing how to give that certain look that could melt even the most hardened of hearts.

Even as this thought flitted through his mind, other thoughts were circling and coming to rest at the forefront; the most important being could the two of them be thinking about the same person? Grabbing the bull by the horns, Jack asked gently but firmly, "What is your mommy's name, Grace?"

Grace blinked at him, chewed on her bottom lip as if contemplating whether she should divulge this information, before giving him a quiet answer. "Samantha."

Heart pounding in his chest, Jack slowly raised himself from the floor and stood looking down at the small child. Thousands of questions ran through his mind but the only thing he could latch onto was _what the hell was going on_? Was this child Sam's? How could she be and where did she come from? Before he could formulate one of these thoughts into words, he felt his hand being taken into her smaller one. Looking down at her in puzzlement, he was surprised to see her smile once again. "I know how to get there. Will you come with me?"

Jack glanced back down the corridor to where Daniel and Teal'c still lay sleeping, then back down at the little girl. He had the feeling that if he went back for his teammates, this little sprite would disappear. So he did the only thing he could at the moment; he nodded at her and let himself be led further down the dark passageway.

* * *

_Little bit longer chapter next time, but I felt one chapter devoted to Jack and Grace's first meeting was crucial. Jack is going to be doing a few things he probablywouldn't do in the series...like following a little girl down a passageway or being without his P-90, but it was necessary for the flow of my story. Thanks for continuing to read and review! _


	6. Follow Me

**Chapter 6 – Follow Me**

After Jack tucked the errant white ribbon into his vest pocket, he let himself be led down the dark corridor; hand in hand with the little pixie named Grace. He couldn't stop himself from smiling as he watched her skip beside him and listened to her hum the refrain from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"; in fact, he had to stop himself from humming along with her! He fleetingly wondered where she had learned the song in the first place.

He was pulled from his musings when Grace stopped about 20 feet down the corridor from where he had met her and looked up at him expectantly. "What?" Jack asked, more than a little unnerved by her serious regard.

Grace let go of his hand and walked over to the wall, peering closely at the symbol she saw etched there; a symbol Jack was beginning to loath. It was the circle with a triangle formed in its midst…the same symbol that seemed to be the cause of all his problems. As Grace raised a small hand to touch the symbol, Jack reacted instantly. "Don't!" he shouted as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back against his legs. His heart beat wildly as he imagined this little girl plummeting through the floor just like Carter had. He looked down at the small face, ready to explain to her why she mustn't touch it and reassure her that he wasn't angry with her.

But rather than finding the child in tears and afraid, he was surprised to find her once again regarding him carefully; almost as if she were trying to figure out how to reassure _him_. Taking a deep breath, he stated calmly, "Grace, do not touch that symbol on the wall. It could be dangerous."

Grace blinked at him, then looked back at the symbol. Frowning, she looked back to Jack. "That is how my mommy disappeared. You must go and find her."

Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair before squatting down so that he was eye level with the little girl. He put both hands on her shoulders before explaining, "Look, we've already tried this. Daniel, Teal'c and I have tried pushing in the symbols both here and in the corridor where your mom…where Sam disappeared." He couldn't quite bring himself to refer to Sam as this child's mother…it just didn't seem…possible! "Besides, she disappeared in the other corridor – what makes you think I'll find a way to her in this one?"

"More than one path will lead you to your journey's end," she responded.

Jack stared at her open-mouthed for a moment before dropping his hands and muttering, "Oh great; another kid who talks in circles. Just what I need." He clearly remembered the boy Shifu and how he never understood a word the kid was saying. Jack stood, knees popping as he straightened to full height once again. "So, what exactly do you propose I do, little miss know-it-all?"

Grace gave him an impish grin, as if she had heard that term many times, before turning back to the wall. "The symbol is the same here on both sides of the wall, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Jack responded dryly. "But the one on the other side has five lines shooting out of the top."

"Like the rays of the sun?" Grace questioned innocently.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. Her innocent act wasn't fooling him for a minute; she seemed to be leading him somewhere. "My mother told me a sun holds the most power of anything in the universe. She blew one up once, you know," she smiled proudly at Jack.

"Yeah, I know," he replied, wondering how the hell she knew about that incident…it had occurred over two years ago! He also wondered how she could be so damn smart at such a young age... before he remembered who her mother supposedly was.

"Power flows outward once it is released, just like the rays of a sun flow outward. If you follow those lines, you will reach what you seek," she replied cryptically.

"Oh, for crying out loud; maybe I should go and get Daniel," Jack stated even as he turned on his heel to do just that.

"No!" Grace cried, stopping him with a hand to his arm. "I can only stay if you are alone. You must find her before the first rays of the sun enter where she lies; otherwise, it might be too late."

"Too late for what?"

"For all of us," Grace whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

Jack carefully regarded this small girl. One minute, she acted like a child, the next someone with knowledge well beyond her years. He didn't know what to make of it; he only knew that he had to find Sam…and apparently soon. "Ok, Ok. I'll find her, Grace. But you've got to stop talking in circles and help me out here, all right? I'm not very good at this riddle stuff," he finished lamely.

Grace sniffed once, then nodded her head in agreement. Her stalwart attitude and refusal to let herself succumb to tears reminded Jack more and more of his 2IC. Grace led him to the opposite side of the corridor to the symbol that did not contain the rays. "Put your hand here," she said quietly. Her small hand indicated that he should touch the middle of the symbol.

Jack looked at her warily. "You do know this goes against my cardinal rule, don't you?" he asked. "_Don't touch_. It's a simple thing to remember. That's how Carter got us into this mess in the first place."

"Sometimes we are led to do things we don't understand," Grace answered. "Touch it; you will not be hurt."

"Famous last words," Jack grumbled under his breath. None the less, he placed his hand gently in the middle of the symbol and pressed lightly. He grimaced in expectation but nothing happened. Turning back to her, he said with a hint of exasperation, "See? I told you; we tried this already."

"This is not the end, only the beginning" stated the child, and Jack could have sworn it was Oma talking to him. "You must do exactly what my mother did, in the same order." She led him back to the other symbol and waited expectantly.

"All right," Jack sighed with resignation. "You want me to touch this one too, right?" he guessed.

"First you must trace each ray of sun, from the circle outward. Then press on the triangle," Grace explained.

"Wait a minute; if you know all this, why didn't you just do this and find your...find Carter…and show her the way out," Jack asked in a puzzled tone.

Grace shook her head sadly. "It wouldn't work for me. I am not…here yet." Jack's eyebrows rose at that comment. Time was relative, that much he knew from Carter's many lectures on the subject. But this? This didn't make a lick of sense to him. Rather than question her further, Jack let it go. He really didn't want to get into a philosophical discussion with an 8 year old…one she'd probably win anyway, he thought ruefully.

Jack moved to the symbol and slowly traced each of the five lines in order, from the symbol outward. As he did so, he wondered once again why he was listening to this child who had appeared from nowhere, but knew deep inside that he had no choice. When he had completed tracing the lines, under Grace's watchful eye, he pressed the inner circle. Not expecting anything to happen, but bracing himself just in case, Jack jumped back in surprise as the wall the symbol was etched on moved inward, revealing a stone stairway leading down into pitch darkness. "Whoa!" he stated in surprise.

Grace smiled crookedly as she peered around him to look down the steps. "Cool!"

Jack cocked his head at her in amusement, his lips quirking in an answering grin. "Yeah, cool." He stepped forward and peered with caution as he shined his light down the stairs. "But this isn't what happened to Carter. She fell through the floor; she didn't walk down a set of steps."

Grace just shrugged her shoulders. "Many streams lead into a river, some less smooth than others; let's go and see where it ends." Again, Jack marveled at how she could go from a little girl to a midget philosopher at the drop of a hat. Daniel would get a kick out of this one, he thought to himself.

As Grace moved to go past him down the stairs, Jack stopped her progress by grabbing at the back of her dress. "Hold on there, princess. I don't know what's down there and I'm not about to let you go down first, even if you aren't _really here yet_," he stated, his fingers making quotations marks in the air over the last three words. "Get behind me. We go down slowly and you stay behind me, got it?"

"Yes, sir," she mumbled in a disgruntled fashion, one that sounded much like Carter when he told her to stop working and go to bed. Shaking his head against that thought, Jack stepped in front of her and began his slow descent down the stone steps.

While some part of him knew that he should be alerting Daniel and Teal'c as to what was happening and get their assistance, an inner voice was telling him to just go with it for now. He knew without a doubt that he would be livid if one of his team members did what he was doing right now, but he couldn't seem to help himself. Something about this child made him follow where she led.

He felt Grace's hand on the back of his jacket as he made his way steadily down the stone steps, careful not to go too fast. He kept his light moving in a continuous sweep back and forth, its light cutting through the darkness ahead of them and revealing nothing more than stone walls and stone steps. The stairs, did however, spiral downward, turning in an ever widening arc that seemed to go on forever. "Man, my knees are so going to protest after this little adventure," Jack complained on their descent. The only response he received from his companion was a little giggle, which caused Jack to smile into the darkness.

Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs and Jack stopped once they were both on even ground, shining his light cautiously while his other hand kept a firm grip on his weapon. From what he could ascertain, they were in another long, dark corridor. This one was not as wide as the ones in the upper level of the temple. In fact, he'd be surprised if two people could walk side by side down here. He glanced down at the small figure next to him; well, two adults couldn't at any rate.

"Well, kiddo, it looks like this passageway only heads in one direction. I guess that's the way we go, huh?" He looked down at her and saw her large, dark eyes gazing down the corridor, an unreadable expression on her face. "Hey, you don't need to be afraid. I'll be right with you all the way," he assured her.

Grace blinked into the darkness then looked up at him, a disgruntled look on her face. Straightening to her full height of 48 inches, she said, "I'm not scared. I haven't been afraid of the dark since I was two!"

Jack couldn't stop the snort of amusement that burst forth. Somehow or other, this had to be Carter's kid. He didn't know how or why, but he did know that much. "Come on then, Dorothy; off to find the wizard." Then he took her hand in his and proceeded down the dark, narrow corridor; hoping that it would lead him to Sam.


	7. A Light at the End of the Tunnel

**Chapter 7 – A Light at the End of the Tunnel**

Jack kept a tight grip on the little girl's hand, even though she didn't seem to be the least bit afraid. He had passed her the flashlight as they walked along the dark passageway underneath the temple and kept his Zat held loosely by his side. As they walked slowly down the passageway, Grace held the flashlight for both of them and giggled as she made its light bounce off of the walls in front of them.

"Ya know, it would be much easier to see where we're going if you tried to keep the light more steady," Jack quipped.

The little girl looked up at him and smiled. "But this is much funner!"

Jack chuckled and shook his head; he was really beginning to enjoy this child, especially now that she wasn't talking in riddles any longer. Once he found Carter, and he was feeling more confident about that by the minute, he hoped to have a chance to sit down and find out more about this remarkable child…especially where she came from!

Grace interrupted his thoughts with a question that threw him off balance for a moment. "You like her a lot, don't you?"

Startled, Jack looked down at her before returning his gaze straight ahead. "Who?" he asked, deciding to play dumb.

It didn't fool Grace one bit. "You know who. My mother, silly."

Jack cleared his throat, trying to think of an appropriate response to give to this child. He still wasn't completely sure about this Carter as someone's mom idea. He needed more time to get his brain around what was going on. For now, he decided to give her a general reply. "Uh, yeah, of course I like Carter. I like everyone on my team; if I didn't, we'd not have much of a team now, would we?"

Grace sighed as if talking to someone much younger than herself who just didn't get it. "Not like that." She looked at him sideways before continuing, "I think, you really care about her, but are afraid."

Jack frowned. "Of course I care about Carter, like I said; she's part of my team. An _important_ part of my team." He used the same sentence he had uttered when talking to General Hammond three years ago, knowing in his heart that it meant something quite different to him than it did to the General. Jack _really_ did not want to get into this kind of discussion with a child, so was vastly relieved when she said no more. Grace just sighed softly and continued on with him, but her hand no longer grasped his quite as tightly as before.

After another ten minutes of slowly making their way through the dark corridor in relative silence, they turned a corner that opened up into a small, circular room – almost like a waiting room of some sort. At the end of this room, stood a heavy door bearing many dents and rusty marks, as if someone had tried to force their way past the door some time ago. Above the door, a large diamond shaped crystal illuminated the space, shining with a yellow glow in the small enclosed area.

Jack released Grace's hand and gripped his Zat firmly in his right hand. Turning to her he said, "Give me the flashlight, Grace. I want you to stand back against the wall. I'm going to check out that door."

"There is nothing to fear here, Sir," Grace replied quietly.

"Yeah, well, you let me the judge of that, OK?"

"But…"

"Look, kiddo. This is my job, so let me do it, OK? Now stand back and keep quiet, all right?"

Grace cocked her head to the side and gave him a slight frown before nodding her head in agreement, her curls bouncing on her shoulders as she did so. She stepped back against the far wall and leaned back, tucking her hands behind her back as if settling in for a long wait. Jack kept a sharp eye on her until she blended into the shadows before strapping the flashlight back into place on his vest and stepping forward to more closely examine the door; the crystal above providing enough light for him to see by.

He saw that the door was made of a heavy metal of some sort and along the side of the door was a column of symbols that looked vaguely familiar to him. Where there once was something to grasp in order to open the door, there was now a hole approximately 2 inches in diameter. Jack bent forward and peered into the hole, trying to discern what was on the other side. It was too dark to see anything, so he unhooked his flashlight once more and shined in into the opening. All he could see from this vantage point was a stone wall across a wide dark space.

As Jack straightened, he felt a breeze ripple past him and a soft voice whisper, "She is in there, waiting for you." He spun around, expecting to find Grace standing next to him and ready to admonish her for moving, but he saw nothing. Quickly shining his flashlight to the wall where he had left her, he was momentarily stunned to find the space empty. Where had she gone?

"Grace? Grace! Where the hell are you?" Jack shouted as he walked back to where the corridor led away from the small room. He shined his light down the corridor but saw no sign of the little girl. She couldn't have gotten away that quickly, he thought in irritation, mixed with a little fear.

Jack turned back to the door, torn by momentary indecision. Should he go and look for Grace, or should he check and see if Carter was on the other side of this door?

----------

Sam woke slowly, thinking that the voice she heard was in her dreams. Why the Colonel was calling for Grace, she couldn't fathom, but tried not to waste time analyzing her dreams at this point in time. When she heard the unmistakable voice calling out loudly, "Where the hell are you?" from the vicinity of the door, Sam was quite certain she was not dreaming.

"Colonel?" she croaked out past her dry throat. Clearing her throat loudly, Sam tried again. "Colonel, is that you?"

Jack spun back towards the door when he heard her voice. "Carter?" he called loudly as he crouched down and peered through the hole in the door. "You in there?"

"Yes, sir," she called weakly, her head swimming dizzily as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

Closing his eyes, he let the feeling of relief wash over him before he asked. "You all right?" knowing damned well she _wasn't_ by how weak her voice sounded.

"I've been better, sir," came the hesitant response. Knowing she must be in bad shape if she admitted that much, he looked around frantically for a way in, all the while keeping one eye out for the re-appearance of a certain little girl.

Trying for lightness in the tense situation, Jack said, "Looks like you've gotten yourself into an interesting predicament here, Carter. This is usually Daniel's department, isn't it?"

He felt another wave of relief flood his body as he heard the smile in her voice as she replied, "Usually, sir." That she could banter with him, however little it might be, helped put his mind at ease for the time being.

Needing to access her injuries, even though he couldn't do anything about them at the moment, Jack asked with gentle concern, "How bad are you hurt, Carter?"

Sam had gotten herself into an upright position by this point and was making her way slowly over to the door. Jack heard her as she leaned heavily against it, trying to keep herself supported. "Oh, you know, Sir. It only hurts when I breathe," she tried lightly.

Jack didn't bite this time at the teasing tone she took. "Sam," he admonished lightly, the tone he took at her name conveying the underlying order.

He heard her sigh, then a sharp intake of breath as if in pain. He knew then that she hadn't really been teasing all that much about it hurting when she breathed. "Fractured rib, slight concussion, bumps and bruises. You know, the usual," came the soft reply.

_Damn it_, Jack mumbled under his breath. If she had a broken rib, there was the danger of her having a punctured lung as well. And a concussion – she had had more of those in the last few months than most NFL linebacker's got in a life time! "Just hang on a bit longer, Carter. I've got to figure out a way to get this door opened, then we'll have you out of there, OK?"

"Ok," she replied. "What about Daniel and Teal'c – are they with you?"

"Uh no, I kind of got down here on my own. Listen," he changed the subject, "There is no handy doorknob or lock to open this thing. Can you get it from your side?"

"No, Sir. I already tried. There's nothing on my end but a small hole," Sam replied. "What about out there?"

"Same thing, but there is a column of symbols running down the outside. I'm assuming it the Ancient equivalent of a combination lock" he stated with resignation.

"Must be. If you could describe them, may I could…," Sam gasped as another wave of pain ran through her, followed by a strong feeling of nausea.

"Carter?" Jack in concern; he hadn't missed the gasp or the cessation of her talking.

"I'm… OK," she replied, trying to strengthen her voice.

"Sit down, all right? I don't want you passing out," Jack ordered. He gave her a minute, then called out, "Are you sitting now?"

"Yes, Sir," Sam called back, trying to steady her breathing.

"Look Carter, I'm going to get Danny and Teal'c down here. Hopefully, between the three of us, we can figure out this panel and can get the door open. I don't want to blow it with C-4; it might take the whole place down." When he didn't get a response, he shouted louder, "Carter?"

Sam jerked up; she had leaned back to rest after the recent movement and had momentarily zoned out. "Sorry, Sir. I'm still here."

"God, don't do that to me!" he admonished her. "Did you hear me? I'm going to get Danny and T down here. Just…sit tight, OK?"

"Yes, sir." Sam agreed quietly, wondering briefly where he thought she'd possibly go. She heard him get on his radio and tell Daniel and Teal'c where he was and how to find him. She was puzzled why the Colonel had ventured down on his own and how he had come to find her, but the thought was quickly over-ridden by her relief that he was here at all. At this point, all she really wanted was to get out of the dank room; the musty dampness was causing the feeling of nauseousness to grow stronger and the pain in her side seemed to be intensifying. The skeleton in the corner wasn't making her feel all that relaxed either. Sam reached for her canteen and took a swallow of water, keeping her eyes averted from the corner, and hoped that the taste of bile rising in her throat would go away.

-------

"Danny, Teal'c, come in," Jack's voice came over the radio. Teal'c sprang up instantly and reached for his radio; Daniel following his actions, albeit much slower.

"O'Neill, where are you?" Teal'c came directly to the point.

"Uh, I discovered a way to the lower level and found where Carter's been hanging out. She's stuck on the other side of a heavy door that doesn't seem to have an easy way in. I need you guys to get down here right away."

"How?" Daniel piped in from his own radio, his mind still fuzzy with sleep. They both listened carefully as Jack gave them clear, concise directions on how to reach the opening where they would find the stairs leading below the temple. They looked at each other questioningly; wondering how and when Jack had figured all this out and why he hadn't informed them in the first place.

Knowing there would be time for questions later, Teal'c replied, "We will be with you momentarily, O'Neill." He then stood quickly and gathered what supplies they would need, trusting Daniel to do the same and follow him to the right corridor. When they found the opening in the wall, they made their way carefully down the winding, stone steps and eventually to the small room where Jack was waiting.

-------

Grace stood silently, engulfed by a large space filled with whiteness. She waited for the figure in front of her to speak, nervously twining a strand of hair around her small finger.

"You have done well, child," the gentle voice of a woman floated down to her. "You have provided assistance to you mother and ensured that she will be found. You have also led these members of the Tau'ri to that which they will need in future explorations." There was a pause before the voice continued on. "Although you have gone against my dictate and informed O'Neill that Samantha Carter is your mother, I do not believe this will be harmful."

Grace hung her head and said quietly, "He asked who my mother was…I thought it was the only way to get him to come with me," she admitted. "I didn't tell him about my father, though," she stated, hoping to be exonerated for her one mistake.

"That is as it should be. We must allow these humans to make their choices in their own time. The council was against this entire plan; the ability to produce a manifestation of a being who is not yet born is one not to be taken lightly. I should not have interfered as much I did in allowing you to appear before both Samantha Carter and Jack O'Neill, but I felt it imperative to their futures…and yours."

"Will I be able to go back and help them find what is hidden behind the inner panel?" the child asked eagerly.

"No, my child. We must let them discover the remaining secrets on their own. You will be able to provide clues to open the outer door, if necessary, and to offer any comfort to your mother before she is rescued, but that is all. You must not appear before Daniel Jackson under any circumstance. It may trigger memories of his time as an Ascended being, which is to be avoided at all costs."

Grace looked unhappily to the being before her; she had wanted to spend more time with the two adults in the temple that she was allowed to converse with. The Ancient being, though staid in following the majority of the rules set before her, was not immune to the look of desolation on the child's face, and so offered, "Perhaps you will be allowed to say farewell when SG-1 takes their leave. I shall think on this matter. In the meantime, prepare yourself to journey back to the temple; your mother will need you once again."

* * *

_And so the plot thickens! I have lots of company coming this weekend so won't get to update until Monday. Thanks for the reviews...it's so great to hear from new readers and old alike...not that any of you are **old**...well, you know what I mean:)_


	8. Combinations

**Chapter 8 - Combinations**

"You still with me Carter?" Jack asked through the small hole where a doorknob used to be. He could just see some strands of golden hair in the beam from his flashlight and wished he could reach out and touch her; just to ensure himself that she was whole.

"Still here, Sir," Sam answered tiredly. She, too wished Jack was one this side of the door with her… she also wished she could rid herself of this incessant feeling of tiredness! Sam took another drink of water, wincing at the pain in her head. "I've got one more packet of 200 mg pain pills, Sir. Do you have anything a little…stronger with you?"

"Danny and Teal'c are on their way, Carter. I'm sure between the three of us, we'll have something with a little more kick to them." They both grinned at the expression. "Hang tight; we'll have you out of there in a jiffy, Carter."

"I never had a doubt, Sir."

Wanting to keep her talking, he sat down on the other side of the door and directed his voice upwards toward the space left by the doorknob. "So, you want to tell me how you got where you're at?" He smiled as he heard her sigh; he could just imagine the embarrassed flush that was most likely stealing across her features right about now.

"I'm not actually sure, to tell you the truth sir. One minute, I'm just lightly brushing my fingers across the symbol on the wall; the next thing I know, I'm tumbling down a ramp of some sort. Unfortunately, the ramp ended short of the floor and I fell a few feet. It was not the smoothest ride, believe me," Sam winced in remembered pain and Jack winced along with her, just imagining what she had endured.

"So, you touched something you shouldn't have, then you found yourself sliding down a ramp." He felt a familiar stab of guilt as he said the words, remembering his role in her inadvertent tumble down to the depths of the temple "So, did all you hit your head on the wall or something when you were plummeting down that ramp?" Jack questioned as he tried to visualize her falling down the ramp and how she had acquired the various injuries she had described to him.

Sam, thinking about the flashlight hitting her on the head, gave a cough of embarrassment and then gasped with the pain. "Not exactly," she wheezed out.

"Ok, enough talking for now, Carter. Take it easy." Jack was once again sitting on his haunches, his light shining through the hole. He was worried about her; this just didn't sound like the Carter he knew. He also felt a deep sense of frustration rising within him at his inability to get her out of this situation. It was with a tremendous sense of relief that he heard heavy footsteps approaching down the dim corridor.

Jack switched his light to the entrance of the room and got to his feet when he saw the large, familiar figure of Teal'c blocking the opening. "Hey guys, glad you could make it on such short notice," he quipped.

"We are happy to be of assistance O'Neill. Where is Major Carter?" the stoic Jaffa asked.

Jack jerked his thumb toward the door. "Stuck behind there. I can't find a way to open it. We think it must be something to do with the column of symbols on the side of the door," Jack explained.

"Is she hurt?" Daniel stepped around Teal'c and stood at his side, his face showing his concern.

Jack frowned as he answered. "Possible fractured rib, concussion, bumps and bruises." He paused. "She doesn't sound real great, Daniel. The sooner we get her out, the better."

Daniel, a look of resolve on his face, pushed his way past Teal'c and went up to the door, eyeing the symbols carefully. "These are the same symbols that were found at the bottom of six of the panels in the main room," Daniel offered.

"Great! You recognize them then," Jack replied happily. "Do your thing and open the door, Danny," he made a motion with his hand toward the door.

Daniel turned to him and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "It's not that easy, Jack. I've had a chance to study most of the words on the panels, but not the symbols or the numbers. Most likely, there's a certain pattern to this; I can't just push random symbols and wait to see what happens! There's no telling what could take place!"

"Well…figure it out then. I want her out of there, Daniel," Jack stated firmly, his tone broking no argument.

"We do too, Jack," Daniel replied quietly before turning back to his task. "Sam?" he called through the door. "You OK in there?"

"Hey Daniel," Came the soft reply. "I'm OK. Sorry to pull you away from your translations of the panels upstairs," she said lightly.

Daniel chuckled. "No problem. It's kind of nice to be on the other end of things for once."

"Thanks for reminding me," she winced, uncomfortable with being the one who needed rescuing…again! It hadn't been that long since the Alpha site fiasco, after all!

Daniel smiled at the note of censure in her voice. "I'm taking a look at these symbols, Sam. There are six of them and they're the ones you thought might be a numerical system of some sort. I've copied them down from upstairs; just give me a few minutes to see what I can work out, OK?"

"Sure Daniel. It's not like I'm going anywhere." Sam leaned her head back, happy to let Daniel take over. The exertion of the last few minutes was making her head swim.

Meanwhile, Jack had walked over to Teal'c and peered behind him into the empty corridor, shining his flashlight down its depths. "Is there something you are looking for, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, his eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Uh, I'm not sure." Jack frowned, wondering if perhaps the child he had encountered had been a figment of his imagination. No, that couldn't be. He had clearly talked to her for quite a while; had even held her small hand in his coming down the stairs. "You didn't happen to see anything…unusual…on your way down, did you T?" Jack asked, knowing that there was only one direction to go once they descended the steps…they would have crossed Grace's path had she slipped away.

"I did not. Perhaps if you explain what you are looking for, I may be of assistance."

Giving the Jaffa a sideways glance, Jack thought it over before deciding that now wasn't the time to discuss this. Their main objective was to get Carter out of the room she was stuck in. Besides, he didn't want his friends to think he was losing it. "Later, Teal'c. It's not important."

Teal'c stared at him, a look of speculation in his features. He knew that there was something else going on that O'Neill was not mentioning. But, trusting his friend and leader as he did, Teal'c let it go for now and followed Jack over to the door.

"Anything Danny?" Jack asked as he came up behind the archeologist.

Daniel stood from his squatted position on the floor and turned to Jack. "I think so. These symbols," he pointed to the six symbols on the wall, "Are associated with six of the panels in the main chamber. There were six gate symbols on a pedestal in the middle that also contained these numbers below each symbol. I think if I just press them in the order they appear on the pedestal, it should open the door."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You mean they left the combination for this out in the open upstairs? That doesn't sound exactly…secure," he stated, the doubt evident in his voice.

"I concur," Teal'c added from his position behind Jack.

"Well, that's all we've got to go on so far. The numbers on the pedestal aren't in numerical order; the order must hold some significance for the Ancients. I think it's the best option to try right now," he shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know Daniel, it just seems like it should be a little more…tricky…than that. Are you sure about this?" he prodded Daniel.

"I'm pretty sure, Jack. It makes the most sense. Unless you have a better idea?"

"Just get her out, Space Monkey," Jack growled.

Daniel, knowing Jack wouldn't have an idea to share aside from blowing the door, turned back, a slight smile on his face. "Sam?"

"Still here," she replied tiredly.

"I think I've figured this out. I'm going to press the symbols in the order that I think should open the door. I want you to move back from the door, though. Just in case," Daniel instructed her.

"Just in case what?" Jack interjected angrily. "Daniel, I thought you said you were _absolutely _sure about this!"

"It's just a precaution, Jack," Daniel assured the older man. "Besides, I said I was _pretty_ sure, not absolutely sure. Those are two very different adjectives."

Jack frowned at the man, giving him a measured look, then moved closer to the door. "You hear Daniel, Carter? You need to move away from the door." He heard the unmistakable sound of a sharp intake of breath as she slowly stood up.

"Moving as ordered sir," she gasped out, slowly edging herself away from the door about 10 feet before sliding down to the ground once more. She couldn't believe how tired she was feeling all of a sudden. She had been feeling stronger as night wore on, but was now in more pain. Must be the bindings on her ribs…they had loosened during the night and Sam didn't have the energy to retie them. She also was in great need of more pain medication but didn't want to take her last remaining tablets in the hopes she would be able to get something stronger once the rest of her team made it through the door.

"Ready, Carter?" Jack asked after a few moments, sharing concerned looks with Daniel and Teal'c as they had also heard her struggles to move.

"Ready," they heard her voice faintly come through the door.

Jack nodded at Daniel to begin. Daniel put one hand to the first symbol, then looked back at the others. "Uh, you might want to step to the side, too. I'm not really sure what's going to happen here." Jack and Teal'c shared a look before taking a few steps back. Daniel turned back to the symbols and began, pressing them slowly, one at a time, in the order he had recorded them in his notebook. Taking a deep breath and offering up a prayer, he pushed the final symbol and then stepped back, waiting to see what would happen.

With the push of the last symbol, the yellow crystal above the door began to glow brighter and hum. The three men in the small room shared a smile of accomplishment and waited expectantly for the door to open.

They were sorely disappointed when, instead of a door opening before them, a beam of light almost like a laser burst forth from the crystal and landed three feet in front of the door. They all jumped back in shock as the laser hit the ground, spitting up gravel and dirt and leaving a small hole in its wake.

From the other side of the door, they heard Sam cry out in alarm and the sound of a loud implosion as something hit the door from her side.

* * *

_You didn't honestly think it was going to be that easy...did you? Don't worry, I shan't leave you hanging too long! I hope you're not losing interest...reviews are going down so it has me wondering... _


	9. A Roll of the Dice

_They were sorely disappointed when, instead of a door opening before them, a beam of light almost like a laser burst forth from the crystal and landed three feet in front of the door. They all jumped back in shock as the laser hit the ground, spitting up gravel and dirt and leaving a small hole in its wake._

_From the other side of the door, they heard Sam cry out in alarm and the sound of a loud implosion as something hit the door from her side._

**Chapter 9 – A Roll of the Dice**

"Shit!" Jack muttered, trying to slow the pace of his heart, which was still beating rapidly. Tripping over his feet in his haste to get to the door, he crouched down and called to Sam through the hole in the door. "Carter! Are you OK?" Getting no response, he called louder, "Answer me, damn it Sam!"

"I'm…I'm fine sir. Just startled… that's all." Jack had to strain to hear the quiet reply as it came through the door. Sam's eyes stayed locked on the far wall, where a section of wall had opened once Daniel had pressed the last symbol. A crystal, smaller than the one outside but the same shape and color, had glowed yellow and shot a laser-like beam of light directly at the door. The door on Sam's side now bore the blackened mark of a blast. Had it been open, anyone on the other side would have been dead before they hit the ground. Sam shut her eyes against that particular image and worked to still her beating heart.

"What happened?" Jack continued, not trusting that she was "fine" as she kept insisting.

"Uhm, the wall kind of opened up and an energized beam of light shot out from a crystal," she breathed slowly trying to regain her equilibrium. "It hit the door." She paused before adding. "I don't think Daniel pushed the symbols in the right order."

"Ya think?" Jack quipped sarcastically, throwing a disgruntled look at Daniel, who merely shrugged in apology. "Crap! Carter, it might take us a bit longer to figure this out. How are you holding out…and I want the truth, Major," Jack emphasized her rank.

"I fine, really sir. Just tired and sore, nothing life threatening," came her muffled voice.

Jack debated a moment before replying. Knowing he could do nothing about it right now, he took her word for it. "OK. We'll try this again as soon as Danny here figures something out. Sit tight."

Sam made a noncommittal grunt as she stared at the newly revealed panel on the opposite side of the room. Instead of staying seated on the ground however, Sam slowly got to her feet, clutching her side as she did so, and wandered over to the section that had opened up rather suddenly. As she got closer, Sam could see the opening contained two panels put together, like the doors of a cupboard, but they were fused together. Inlaid in the doors were the six numerical symbols she guessed Daniel was currently decoding. Just above them, were the two symbols she had touched on the wall in the upper corridor; the ones which had precipitated her tumble down the ramp.

Sam raised her hand to touch the symbol of the circle with an intersecting triangle inside, then drew back suddenly, recalling what had happened the last time she had touched the same engraving in this temple. She spared a glance at the skeleton in the corner and shuddered before turning her attention back to the wall.

Raising her eyes to the small yellow crystal, Sam stepped to the side as she realized it was still glowing brightly. Her eyes went back to the symbols: Daniel's solution, whatever it was, had obviously been incorrect. But what was the right answer? There were any number of combinations possible, and if this rather elaborate security system activated each time the wrong combination was pressed, they could all run into some serious trouble.

"That's pretty," came a soft voice behind her. Sam spun around to look at Grace, who was once more in the room with her and looking up at the yellow crystal.

Sam closed her eyes briefly; she must not be doing as well as she assured the Colonel if she was still seeing this child. When she opened her eyes again, it was to find the girl's steady gaze on her face, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Play with me," she stated, tossing a pair of dice up into the air and catching them with cupped hands.

Sam shook her head and turned back to study the panels. "I don't have time to play with you, Grace. If I don't help Daniel figure this out, I could be stuck here forever."

"You should rest. Come on, we can play with the dice. We each roll one and see who gets the higher number," she insisted once more. "Then we can add the numbers together after we each roll a few times."

Sam ran a hand tiredly through her hair. "Look, I can't play, OK?" Sam repeated, even as she leaned against the wall, trying to still the dizziness that had crept up on her once again.

Grace, ignoring Sam's refusal to play, tossed one die high into the air, then let it land at Sam's feet. "Five! I rolled a five! You try now."

Sighing, Sam accepted the die that was placed in her hand and let it drop unceremoniously to the ground, not showing any interest in what number it landed on.

"You got a six! You win that time! Let's try again," Grace chortled happily as she gathered up the dice once more. Turning them over in her hand as she brushed the dirt from them, Grace's smile turned into a look of concentration. "Six numbers, six sides of a dice. I wonder who first invented dice and what kinds of games they played." Then she looked up at Sam. "If you put all the numbers together on one die, what do you get?" she asked with a tilt to her head.

"21," Sam automatically responded, still thinking about the numerical symbols in front of her and wishing this hallucination would go away for good so she could think. Then something she had said hit her…21. The total when you added up the numbers 1 through 6. It was also the total number of panels in the main temple!

Sam turned to Grace, her eyes wide with inspiration. "Twenty one! There are 21 panels upstairs; the numbers 1 through 6 add up to 21. Those are the numerical symbols that Daniel is working on. It's got to be a simple matter of putting the first six numbers in numerical order! It's a test…_only those who are worthy can open the door_. Perhaps meaning those who can figure out their mathematical system!"

Grace smiled and nodded her head. "Math can be fun, can't it?"

Sam returned the grin before making her way across the room as quickly as possible. She heard the voices of Daniel and Jack arguing about something but didn't bother to wait. Leaning heavily against the door, she called out, "Daniel! I think I know the combination!"

Jack and Daniel abruptly stopped their argument and looked to the door, then back at each other with surprise and a bit of chagrin. For while they had been arguing about how to go about figuring out the combination, Sam, who was injured, had been figuring it out on her own. In all actuality, it didn't surprise either one of them a bit that she had come up with the answer before either of them.

"Carter?" Jack was the first one to speak. "I thought I told you to stay put."

"Well, technically, sir, you said to _sit tight_, which isn't exactly the same thing as staying put." Jack rolled his eyes while Daniel grinned and Teal'c smiled at her comment. "But I couldn't just sit there and do nothing," Sam continued. "There are two small panels that were revealed on this side when you tried the first combination, Daniel. They contain the numerical symbols for the numbers 1 through 6, as well as the symbols that I …uh, touched, before I fell down here."

"That's what we've got on this side, Sam. Well, just the numbers, but they're placed in a random order on the wall," Daniel answered, wondering what she had figured out.

"Same thing on this side. When you add the numbers up, what do you get Daniel?" she asked, her excitement at possibly solving this puzzle making her voice sound stronger.

"Twenty-one," he replied, then shrugged at Jack who was frowning at him questioningly.

"And how many panels are in the main room of the temple?" Sam continued.

"Twenty-one," Daniel repeated before his eyes lit up. "Jeez Sam, you don't think?"

"Yes, Daniel, that's exactly what I think!" she replied.

"Uh, somebody want to tell the _rest_ of the class what they think the answer is?" Jack asked with impatience.

Daniel turned to explain. "The numbers 1 through 6 add up to 21…the exact number of panels in the main chamber. We just need to press the numbers in numerical order!" He turned back to the door. "Ascending or descending order, Sam?"

Sam chuckled, which turned to a cough then a gasp as pain racked her body. They had to wait until she had caught her breath to reply. "What do you think, Daniel? These are the Ancients we're talking about right?"

Daniel grinned. "Yeah, right. They are a bit more interested in _ascending_ than descending. What made you think of this solution, Sam?" Daniel asked curiously.

Without thinking, Sam began to explain. "Well, there's this little…" Sam turned back to where Grace had been standing and was not surprised to no longer see her there. Turning back, she tried to cover herself, "Uh… little game I used to play with dice when I was young. I got to thinking of the numbers on a die and…it just came to me," she finished lamely, glad they couldn't see her face right now. For all of them would certainly know that she wasn't telling them the whole truth.

"You're thinking of games at a time like this, Carter? That really doesn't instill a whole lot of confidence in me, you know," Jack said, his lips quirking in a small grin even as he said the words. The thought of her playing games with dice as a child was just too amusing. Maybe he should take her to Vegas some time!

"Sorry, sir." Her answer was followed by a small gasp of pain, as her recent movement across the room caught up with her.

Jack's face turned serious when he heard her gasp again. "Carter? You alright?"

After taking several deep breaths, Sam was able to reply. "Yeah, Colonel. Just got a bit winded, that's all."

The three men once again shared a look of worry before Jack responded to Sam. "Ok, Carter. We're going to try your solution. I want you to move away from the door, and this time when I say stay put, I mean **stay in one place and don't move**. Got it?"

"Sir, there is chance this isn't the right combination. If another laser hits the door…" she didn't continue.

"I know, Carter. We'll move back from the door as well. Now get moving; I'm sure you don't' really want to spend a whole lot more time in there, do you?"

Sam smiled, "Not really, sir," she replied, before moving to her previous position several feet from the door and settling gratefully once more on the ground. Her brief period of experiencing a second wind seemed to be coming to a rather abrupt end. "Ready sir!" she called out as loudly as she could.

"OK, Carter. Hopefully this will do the trick!" Jack called back. Then he nodded to Daniel to proceed, making sure that he and Teal'c had moved out of range of the crystal.

Daniel took a deep breath, and pressed the symbol that signified number one. Slowly and carefully, he repeated the process until he came to the last symbol. Shooting Jack and Teal'c a hopeful look, he stated, "Well, here goes nothing," and pressed the final symbol.

Once again, the crystal above the door lit up, but this time, no beam of deadly light came shooting out at them. Instead, after a moment of complete silence, they heard the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking open. The door swung open a mere inch before coming to a stop.

Jack advanced, weapon raised, and gave Daniel a nod. "Sam? You OK?" Daniel called from his side of the door. He gave a sigh of relief when he heard her reply in the affirmative.

"Carter? Anything happening on your side?" Jack asked as he came to the slightly open space between the door and the wall. He didn't want to open the door just to get annihilated by a laser beam! Teal'c had come to stand behind him, his staff weapon held at the ready should they encounter something unexpected on the other side of the door.

"No, sir." Sam replied. "The light's still glowing, but no beam of light has come out. I heard the door unlock; I can come over and open it now," she stated, starting to raise herself to her feet.

"Negative. Carter!" Jack ordered quickly. He didn't want her to aggravate her injuries or be in the way should they need to act quickly. "Just stay put – we're coming through."

Sam sank back down onto the pile of hay and waited. Meanwhile, Jack gave a nod to Daniel, who reached over and slowly pulled the door open. Jack raised his Zat and did a quick sweep of what he could see from the door, his flashlight seeking out the darkened corners of the room. When he spotted nothing dangerous, he nodded once again at his companions then entered the room more fully, letting his eyes sweep the area to the right of the door until they came to rest on the blond woman leaning against the wall, a smile of relief lighting her face.

* * *

_Thanks so much for all of your assurances that you are still reading and enjoying this fic! It got me motivated to get another chapter out even though I have been attending inservices the last two days! I have quite a bit of the story left so this is my no means the end! And yes, Grace will show up a few more times but sadly, she does not have an older brother named JJ in this particualr story:)_


	10. Taking Inventory

_This one should satisfy some of the shippers out there, but is not over the top as to bother those of you who aren't. I know I keep saying it, but thanks so much for your reviews...they inspire me to write faster! Thanks especially to Crazyangel1 - that I have made Grace seem real to you is indeed high praise! Special thanks also to iamdragonrider...whose review of an earlier chapter was the inspiration for one of Jack's lines.. Hope you enjoy the reunion!_

**Chapter 10 – Taking Inventory**

Jack lowered his weapon and just stopped to stare at his 2IC for a moment. His eyes raked over her quickly from head to toe, taking in the dried blood on her forehead, the obvious way she was favoring one side, and the exhaustion on her face. He felt a strong sense of relief wash over him that, despite her apparent injuries, she was in one piece.

Sam too, felt an immense sense of gratitude as she saw Jack's tall figure come through the door. When he turned to look at her and their eyes met briefly, Sam's breath caught in her throat and she felt the prick of tears in her eyes. She had seen the obvious concern for her written on his features, and maybe something more, before he let his face fall back into his commander's mask. Sam quickly blinked her eyes, hiding both her tears and whatever emotions might have been revealed on her own countenance.

Trying to ease the concern she could still see lingering in the depths of Jack's eyes, Sam smiled at all three men as they came through the door; "Hey guys, nice of you to drop in!"

After a brief pause, Jack replied, "Well, we would have come sooner, Carter, but your directions were awful." A small grin of appreciation crossed his face as he said the words. Sam's smile widened and she started to push herself up, but was prevented from doing so by his clipped, "Stay put!" Jack crossed over to her quickly and knelt on one knee beside her. "I think you've done enough damage for one mission, don't you?" his voice softened as he took a closer look at her injuries.

She had a rather impressive looking lump on her forehead, the aforementioned dried blood surrounding the swollen area, small cuts and bruises on her face, and her right arm was lying protectively over her left side.

Daniel and Teal'c came to stand behind Jack. "Geez, Sam! You look awful!" Daniel stated innocently.

Sam winced. "Gee, thanks Daniel."

Teal'c gave Daniel a glare before stating, "We are pleased to have you back in our midst, Major Carter. How may we be of assistance?"

"Uh, I could use some more pain meds, Teal'c. And someone should rebind my ribs; I didn't do such a great job," she admitted with a grimace.

"I'll take care of Carter," Jack quickly stated. "I want you two to check this place out…see if there's anything here we need to worry about. I'm assuming this is the secret chamber that you were talking about earlier, Daniel?"

Daniel let his gaze roam around the room. "Yeah, I think it is Jack. But there doesn't look like they left much here." His eyes rested on the exposed panel on the opposite side of the wall. The crystal above still glowed, but not as brightly. "Now there's something interesting," he muttered as he walked over to it. Teal'c gave Sam one more concerned look then nodded to Jack before following Daniel across the room.

Jack gave Sam a measured look, once again noticing the weariness and grimaces of pain cross her face before he began to rummage through his pack. Finding the roll of gauze, he pulled it out, along with some tape, antiseptic wipes and pain medications. When he looked back at her, he was surprised at the look of trepidation and embarrassment on her face. "Hey, you OK?" he asked gently as he placed the materials in front of him.

Sam bit her lip and looked down, then let her eyes wander back up to meet his. "I'm…I'm just feeling really stupid about all this, sir. If I hadn't touched the symbol…"

"Let's not worry about that now, OK?" Jack interrupted. "We need to get you fixed up so we can get you out of here. First some pain meds." He handed her two Tylenol with codeine and his canteen and watched as she swallowed the pills. Deciding to take care of the ribs first, he said, "Can you lift your shirt, Carter?"

With a flush of embarrassment and a grimace of pain, Sam carefully leaned forward and lifted her shirt, keeping her bra covered but exposing the wrapping around her ribs that she had attempted to perform last night. Jack hesitated just a moment before slowly and carefully beginning to unwrap the cloths that Sam had used. His eyes narrowed in concern as he took in the bruising that was revealed the more he unwrapped. God, that had to hurt, he thought while trying to hold in a grimace of sympathy. He looked briefly at her face, noticing her flush of self-consciousness while he performed this task. Trying to put her at ease, he said, "Well, it seems as if you haven't gotten a whole lot better at field medicine since Antarctica. This is a pretty shoddy job of wrapping, Major." He gave her a smile to make sure she knew he was teasing her.

Sam glanced at him in surprise before gratefully returning the smile; she knew what he was doing. "It's kind of hard to wrap your own ribs, Sir. At least I wasn't complaining the whole time."

Jack took the clean roll of gaze and began to wrap her ribs, being careful not to jostle her too much but making it tight just the same. "Are you trying to say that _I_ was complaining when you practically pulled my leg out of its socket, Major?"

"Complaining? No, I'd say you were yelling bloody murder, Sir." She paused and took a deep breath as he tightened the bindings around her ribs. "It was just a leg, for goodness sake, not your ribs. And I was setting it, not pulling it out of its socket."

Jack watched her carefully, even as he continued the light-hearted bantering that was making this scenario easier on both of them. "And you think one little fractured rib is more painful than a broken leg?" Jack asked incredulously, raising one eyebrow for added effect. "Might I remind you that I was also freezing my ass off while you have a nice, comfy pile of hay to rest on?"

Sam smiled sweetly. "Ok, you had a worse climate to endure, and maybe a rib is not any more painful than a leg, Sir. But it's _definitely_ more difficult to care for when one is by oneself, don't you think?"

Jack raised his eyes to her face, ready to make another retort, but froze at the smile on her face. It was the same smile that Grace had given him not all that long ago and literally stopped him in his tracks. He had to think of some way to talk to her about the child, but wasn't exactly sure how to bring it up. _By the way, Carter, I met your daughter today. She actually showed me how to get down here and find you! _Yeah, like that would go over real well!

Sam's smile faltered as Jack continued to stare at her without saying anything. It was beginning to make her nervous. "Sir?" she asked questioningly.

Jack mentally shook himself, drawing his thoughts back to the present, and let his gaze fall back to her now tightly taped ribs. He gently tugged her shirt back down before he looked at her again. "Let's take a look at that head, shall we?" He took Sam's chin in his hand and turned her head so he could more easily see the bump on her head. Making a _tsking_ out loud, he said, "Geez, Carter, what did you hit your head on this time?"

When she didn't immediately answer, he turned her chin so she was looking straight at him. He was surprised to see the blush on her pale cheeks. Raising his eyebrows, he waited for an answer. Sam cleared her throat, causing Jack to drop his hand but not to look away…he wanted an answer and he was going to get one. "Well?"

Sam wouldn't meet his gaze as she answered. "You remember I said that I fell down a ramp, which ended about 10 feet shy of the floor?"

"Yeah," he encouraged her to continue while he opened a packet of antiseptic wipes. He grasped her chin gently again and turned her head away while he started to clean around the wound. Sam grimaced at the pressure, then continued speaking.

"Well…my flashlight came down after me…and kind of hit me on the head. I …passed out after that." Sam bit her lip and closed her eyes, waiting for the laughter she was sure would come.

Jack's hand stilled on her wound, a smile playing about his lips. _I will not laugh_, he told himself over and over again, but he couldn't help the comment that escaped from his lips unwillingly. "So, you literally had the daylights knocked out of you, huh?"

Sam grimaced at both the pun and the remembered pain of the incident, "Yeah, I guess so."

Seeing the obvious discomfort on her face, Jack decided to ease up on her. "Well," he said lightly as he finished cleaning the wound, "At least it wasn't Siler's wrench. Now that would have hurt like hell!"

Sam chuckled in appreciation of the comment. Siler had in fact broken a toe not long ago when he dropped the rather large tool on his foot. Jack leaned back from her, a smile on his face. "Ok, Major, anything else we need to attend to? How's the leg?"

"Just bruised and sore, Sir. Like the rest of me. Nothing you can do about any of it. I'm sure I'll be good as new in a few days."

"I've got no doubt about that, Carter," he replied as he packed away the medical items he had used. Jack glanced across the room at Daniel and Teal'c, making sure they were busily engaged, before returning his gaze to her, the look in his eyes intent. His voice went down a notch, almost as if he were going to impart a secret. "So, Carter…you didn't see anything…strange…down here, did you? Something that seemed…out of place?"

While she wondered what _he_ might be referring to, Sam thought immediately of Grace. And while she wouldn't classify the child as strange by any means, her appearance was a rather odd occurrence and definitely out of place. But she was just a hallucination, wasn't she? If she told the Colonel, he'd be even more concerned about her than he was now. Sam had a feeling that there was something important in this room that they needed to discover and didn't want the team to leave on her account, so she refrained from mentioning the child's appearance.

While Jack had been waiting for a response, he had been carefully watching Sam's face and could tell by the expressions running across it, that something had happened that probably could be classified as out of the ordinary. Before he could press her further or she could offer an excuse, he was summoned by Teal'c.

"O'Neill, your presence is required." The deep voice came from the small alcove where Sam had initially landed.

Jack looked questioningly at Teal'c, then back down at Sam. "Guess I'm being paged. You stay here, I'll be right back." Jack straightened, wincing as his knees cracked, and walked over to where Teal'c was obviously studying something in the dark recesses of the alcove.

"T, buddy…what's up?" Jack asked as he drew nearer.

Following the beam of Teal'c's light, his eyes met the vacant ones of the skeleton in the corner. Jack made a face, "Ew, now that's something I didn't expect to see." Turning to Sam, who had been watching this from her place against the wall, he called out, "Friend of yours, Carter?"

Sam made a face of distaste. "No, Sir. He…or she I guess… was here well before I was. I've tried not to have anything to do with…it…while I've been down here." She wrinkled her nose and turned away.

"He's not much of a conversationalist, I take it?" Jack teased, before turning back to Teal'c. "So, what do you think Teal'c?"

Teal'c gave him a sidelong glance before responding. "I believe you should take a closer look at the remains, O'Neill."

Sighing, Jack took the light Teal'c offered him and stepped closer. As he bent to examine the skeleton, he drew back, muttering an expletive under his breath. "Shit. Is that what I think it is?"

"If you are referring to a Goa'uld symbiote, O'Neill, then yes, it is what you think," Teal'c replied calmly.

Daniel and Sam both turned their heads in the direction of the alcove, eyes wide in surprise. "What?" Daniel asked, the disbelief evident in his tone.

Jack turned away from the remains in the corner. "Seems as if Carter's friend, now thankfully deceased, was a Goa'uld." Silence filled the room at this observation. For in their experience, where there was one snake, there was bound to be another…no matter how many years separated their visits.


	11. Puzzles Solved

_Jack turned away from the skeletal remains in the corner. "Seems as if Carter's friend, now thankfully deceased, was a Goa'uld." Silence filled the room at this observation. For in their experience, where there was one snake, there was bound to be another…no matter how many years separated their visits._

**Chapter 11 – Puzzles Solved**

"How long has it been dead, Teal'c?" Jack asked, prodding the skeleton with his foot and wincing as the head became dislodged and rolled across the small space of the alcove. The emaciated symbiote skeleton dropped harmlessly to the floor.

"Long enough, O'Neill," Teal'c intoned dryly, before bending and scooping the symbiote into a large plastic bag, then sealing it tightly in order to bring it back to the SGC.

Jack gave a slight shudder and turned to examine the remaining space. Both men walked over to the ramp that dropped from up above; the ramp that Sam had so painfully tumbled down less than 24 hours ago. Teal'c eyed the 10 foot drop and the distance to the wall across from the ramp with concern. "This is a significant fall for a person to take, O'Neill. Are you certain Major Carter was not more seriously injured?"

Both men turned to look at Sam, who was leaning tiredly against the wall, the codeine in the Tylenol she had taken beginning to kick in. "Pretty sure, Teal'c. I don't think Carter would hide anything from us at this point. The worst seems to be a fractured rib and a slight concussion caused by the lump on her head. No punctured lung, though, thank God. I think she's out of danger, but we'll keep a close on her, just the same," Jack stated firmly. Teal'c nodded his head in agreement, then both of them made their way back into the main chamber to where Daniel was waiting for more news about the skeleton.

"Well?" Daniel asked, a bit of impatience edging his voice.

"It's long dead, Danny, but I don't think I want us to hang around here too much longer. No telling if or when one of his family members are going to come looking for him," Jack answered Daniel's unspoken question.

"I do not believe the Goa'uld harbor particularly strong feelings for their family members, O'Neill. Living or otherwise," Teal'c stated resolutely, before he walked over to assist Sam, who was struggling to get more comfortable against the wall. "Allow me to assist you, Major Carter," he said quietly, pulling a thermal blanket from his pack and creating a make-shift bed for her on the floor, using sundry items from his and Jack's packs to add to her comfort.

"Don't get her too comfortable, Teal'c. I'd like us all to get out of here sooner rather than later," Jack said, looking up at the slates and noticing the faint light pouring in. He remembered what Grace had said, that he needed to get to Sam before the first light of dawn entered the room. Whether there was any danger now that they had reached her or not, he wasn't sure. But so far, the little minx had been right about everything else and he wasn't willing to take a chance.

"Leave?" Daniel asked askance, his eyes wide at the thought. "Jack, we can't just leave! We have to try and open this panel…see what's behind it. Remember, the inscriptions implied that there was something of great power hidden here for those worthy of it."

"Yes, Daniel, and we also have a seriously injured teammate on our hands, a dead Goa'uld, and…something tells me that we shouldn't stay here for long, OK?" Jack shot back in exasperation.

Daniel frowned at that last comment. "_Something_ tells you? Like _something_ told you about the hidden stairs and how to open the wall to get to Sam, without bothering to let Teal'c and me in on it? Jack, what the hell is going on?" Daniel crossed his arms and waited for a reply.

Jack stole a look at Sam, who was watching them from her now prone position on the floor. "I can't go into it right now. Look, I'll explain it later. But for now, you try and get that thing open. I don't want to be down here too long." He cast another worried gaze at Sam, who didn't miss it.

Propping herself up on one elbow, Sam said quietly, "Sir, Daniel's right. There's something hidden behind that panel; something important. Please don't let me be the cause of us not figuring it out ; I've caused enough trouble for one mission the way it is," she pleaded. "I'll be all right. Besides," she added ruefully, "I don't think I'm up to an 8 click hike back to the gate right now, never mind trying to get back to the main level of the temple."

Jack looked from her to Daniel, then over to Teal'c to ascertain his thoughts on the subject. When the large man nodded slightly, signifying that he would watch over Major Carter while Daniel attempted to open the panel before them, Jack made his decision. He looked up at the thin slats high on the wall, noting the slight increase of light coming through. Sighing, he turned to Daniel. "OK, Danny. You've got an hour."

"An hour?" Daniel cried in disbelief. "But Jack, I won't even be able to begin…"

"Fifty-nine minutes," Jack stated firmly, tapping the face of his watch pointedly.

Daniel huffed in exasperation, mumbled a few unintelligible words that Jack was certain were curse words in another language, then turned and focused his attention on the panels in front of him. Jack left him to it; taking the time to carefully peruse the small room his 2IC had been stuck inside.

Thirty minutes passed in relative silence; Teal'c standing guard over a now sleeping Samantha Carter, Jack pacing restlessly within the small room and Daniel running his hands over the symbols in various combinations. So far he had been unable to achieve anything other than causing the crystal to glow or dim according to what symbols he pressed. Thankfully no beams of light had shot across the room at his fumbling attempts to open the panel.

Jack, tired of the waiting and getting more nervous as the light coming through the slats grew brighter, tried to hurry Daniel along. His pestering only served to make the archaeologist more nervous and edgy with his commander.

"Jack! I can't get anything accomplished with you breathing down my neck! Just…go play with your yoyo or something!"

"I'll have you know that I do not carry my yoyo on missions any longer, Daniel. The General confiscated it some time ago!" Jack retorted angrily.

"Well, find something else to do!" Daniel pleaded.

Teal'c walked purposefully over to the two men, his mere presence causing them to cease their bickering. "O'Neill, Major Carter becomes restless. I believe she will rest more comfortably in your presence. I will remain with Daniel Jackson."

Jack, knowing the comment for what is was - an attempt to stop his and Daniel's bickering - never-the-less crossed the room to Sam's side. But not before shooting one final look of annoyance Daniel's way. Jack lowered himself to a seated position beside Sam and looked her over carefully. Teal'c was right; she was becoming restless. Her facial features were a grimace of pain as she rolled around; becoming more agitated the longer she lay there. Jack, telling himself he'd do the same if it were Daniel lying here, eased her head onto his lap, put his hand on her back and rubbed it lightly in circles, offering what comfort he could. "Take it easy, Carter. Don't move around so much. We're right here."

His presence and words seemed to calm her. Sam's eyes flickered open briefly, her face relaxed, and she fell back into a more restful sleep within minutes. Sighing with relief, Jack looked up, frowning at the rather smug look on Teal'c's face. He let his gaze wander past the large man to the rest of the room. When his eyes strayed to the slats on the wall, he frowned in puzzlement. There were five thin slats and the light that was now coming in seemed to be directed to one location in the room: just above the panels where Daniel was working. Five slats; just like the five rays that came out from the one symbol. _The rays of a sun flow outward. If you follow those lines, you will reach what you seek._ He recalled the words Grace told him in the upper passageway as she was leading him to Carter.

Jack startled at the revelation; this is what Grace must have been referring to! They needed to reach Carter by the first rays of dawn – not only for her safety, but because the light coming through the slats would pinpoint the key they needed to open the panel. Jack felt a moment of deep satisfaction course through him….so this must be how Carter felt when she solved some puzzle, he thought ironically. No wonder she loved what she did!

Gently easing Sam's head off his lap and onto Teal'c's folded pack, Jack softly brushed her hair away from her face before standing up and making his way quickly over to Daniel. "I think I know what to do, Daniel," he stated without preamble.

Daniel shot him a puzzled look. "Huh? _You've_ figured it out…while sitting against the wall and throwing me death glares?"

Jack pointedly ignored the emphasis on the word _you've_, though he did shoot Daniel another glaring look that brought Teal'c closer to the two men. Jack directed Daniel's attention to the light coming in from the slats. "See those slats up there? Five of them, directing the light to this symbol; the same symbol thatCarter pressed before she fell down the ramp. The same one _I_ touched in order to get down here. It has five rays; five slats…I think the number five is significant in the temple Daniel," Jack added with a frown. "Though I guess six and twenty one are as well."

"The Fifth Race!" Daniel exclaimed after a momentary pause. "It must have something to do with Thor's comment about us possibly being the Fifth Race!" Daniel's excitement died down as he looked at Jack in confusion. "And just how did you figure all of this out, may I ask?" he inquired.

"Later," Jack brushed the question aside. "All I need to do, is lightly run my finger over the five rays, press the center of the circle, then voila…open sesame!"

"What of the numerical symbols, O'Neill? Do you not think those are required to open this compartment as well?" Teal'c asked.

"Hmm, good point T. Hopefully it's the same combination that was used to open the outer door. I guess we'll find out." Jack stepped closer and raised his hand, ready to trace his fingers over the rays of the symbol.

"Hold on a second," Daniel interrupted. "I still don't get how you figured all of this out. And why does it have to be you that touches the symbol?" He crossed his arms, his face showing how disgruntled he felt at the moment.

"Keep your shorts on Daniel," Jack replied. "I'm not trying to push you out of a job here. It just occurred to me; the inscriptions upstairs said the knowledge would be revealed to those who are worthy, right?"

"Yes," Daniel drawled out. "Possibly meaning those of the Fifth Race," he stated pointedly.

"Or, this being a temple of the Ancients, perhaps only someone with an Ancient gene can open the compartment? I don't want take any chances. Besides, you don't really want to see something else shoot out of that crystal, do you?" Jack asked with raised eyebrows.

Flushing slightly for not thinking of that himself, Daniel shook his head. "I guess you could be right. Go ahead." He stepped aside so Jack had easier access to the panel before him.

"Why thank you, Dr. Jackson," Jack smiled at the younger man. He turned his attention back to the symbol and once more raised his hand to it, shooting a glance at Daniel to make sure the younger man wasn't going to interrupt him again. Receiving no comment from that quarter, Jack proceeded, running his fingers over the rays in the same manner he had earlier, then pressing the inner portion of the circle. When nothing happened, he looked at Daniel. "What order do I press the numerical symbols, Daniel?"

Daniel pointed them out, one at a time, and Jack followed his directions carefully. When the final symbol had been pressed, all three of them stood back as the crystal above them turned from yellow to red. Then slowly, the two panels separated to reveal a rectangular space hidden within the wall. They could just make out a stone slab lying within this newly revealed space. Jack felt a breeze ripple past him and thought he heard a quiet voice whisper, "I knew you would find it." He shot an inquiring look at Daniel and Teal'c, wondering if they had heard or felt anything.

Daniel shivered as he felt a cool breeze pass him. "Did you guys feel that? It felt like something went right through me."

"I felt it also, Daniel Jackson. Perhaps the spirit of one who was here long ago has been released," Teal'c replied.

"I don't know. It felt…familiar somehow," Daniel frowned in thought.

Wanting to redirect his friends, Jack said impatiently, "Probably just the wind picking up. Don't worry about it."

Jack took a quick glance over at Sam, not surprised to see her hair ruffle slightly in the wake of the soft breeze that brushed past her. Jack gave a soft smile before returning to the hidden compartment. "Well, shall we take a look at the rock they left here?" Reaching forward, he pulled the stone slab out of the dark confines of the chamber and into the light.


	12. Written in Stone

**Chapter 12 – Written in Stone**

Daniel took the proffered tablet from Jack's hands and studied it carefully, turning it this way and that in contemplation. It was about 12 by 18 inches big, several inches thick, and a light type of stone that Daniel had never seen before.

"Well?" Jack asked with an edge of impatience to his voice. He wasn't exactly upset with Daniel, it's just that he was expecting something a little more…remarkable…than a slab of stone; especially after all they had gone through to retrieve the stupid thing!

"I don't believe it," Daniel muttered to himself before looking up into the expectant faces of his friends. "This tablet contains all of the symbols from the panels upstairs; except that they are arranged in groups of seven." At Jack's blank look, he clarified, "Gate addresses."

Jack's eyebrows shot upward. "Sweet! Anyplace you recognize on there?"

"That's just it, Jack. I don't recognize any of these…the addresses nor a few of the symbols. As I researched more closely upstairs, I discovered that most of the symbols were chevrons familiar to us, but with something added to them, like those 5 rays for instance." He indicated the now familiar symbol at the top of the panel. "And some of the symbols are different altogether."

He frowned as he looked down at the slab. "Let me study this for a bit," he added absently before going over to where Sam was sleeping. Daniel sat against the wall, the slab in his lap and a furrow of concentration on his face.

Jack shrugged his shoulders at Teal'c and followed the younger man over to the wall. He settled into the space on the other side of Sam and waited, no longer worried that they had to leave this room quickly. His eyes alighted on the sleeping figure of his 2IC and he smiled as he took in the lump on her head. Not that her injury was funny…but he had to admit, the manner in which she had received that little souvenir was a bit humorous. In addition, Jack just knew he'd have ammunition for the future, when she gave him a hard time about one of _his _injuries. Absently, he brushed a lock of hair away from the bump, glancing now at the dark bruising around the area. Maybe he wouldn't give her hard time after all, he thought with a frown.

Teal'c took up a position of relaxed guard in front of his group of seated team mates and waited for Daniel Jackson to reveal his knowledge of the stone tablet.

Several minutes later, Daniel's "Oh my God," pulled Jack's eyes away from Sam and to the archeologist, who had a look of revelation about him. Daniel met Jack's eyes, the dawning light of understanding shining in their blue depths. "Jack! This is unbelievable!"

At the raised voice, Sam began to stir on her make shift bed and slowly opened her eyes, blinking in confusion at the three faces swimming in her vision. "Daniel?" she breathed out softly.

Daniel let the stone tablet rest in his lap as he reached out a hand and placed it gently on her shoulder. "Sorry, Sam. I didn't mean to wake you up. I just got a bit excited at what we found behind those panels on the wall."

Sam rubbed a hand across her face then started to push herself up, her mind clearing and curiosity beginning to grab a hold of her. "Hey," strong arms stopped her progress. "You shouldn't be sitting up just yet," Jack admonished lightly.

"Please, Sir? I want to see what Daniel's found," Sam requested, her eyes pleading with those of her commanding officer. "The pain killers have kicked in; I'm feeling better… honest," she added for good measure.

Jack looked at her doubtfully, sighed, and helped her into a seated position between him and Daniel, not minding in the least that she leaned slightly against him in the process. She gave him a soft smile accompanied by an equally soft, "Thank you sir."

Jack nodded at her, then looked across her to Daniel. "OK Danny, you've got our undivided attention now. What's so all-fired important about this rock?"

Daniel tilted the slab so that the rest of them could see it easily. "As I told Jack a bit ago, these symbols here," he pointed to the rows of symbols engraved in the stone, "Appear to be gate addresses. Unfortunately, none of them are recognizable. But this," here he pointed to an inscription at the bottom of the tablet, "Is the same symbol that was found on the tablet on Abydos; the one Jonas found that refers to the Lost City." Daniel's eyes flicked among the three of them, waiting for their reactions.

"The one we found when we were looking for the Eye of Ra?" Sam questioned.

"Exactly," came the eager reply.

Teal'c's eyebrow shot up in inquiry. "What does this mean Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel took a deep breath. "Well, I'm not exactly certain Teal'c. But I think it could be a list of gate addresses from the Lost City of Atlantis. This symbol – the one that opened the hidden doors down here – looks to be a direct reference to Atlantis…I think it could be its point of origin At least I'm pretty sure it refers somehow to a hidden place of great importance…I just don't know for sure until I get it back for further study. But I really think this is a significant find, Jack. One that truly will bring us more knowledge and understanding of other races and cultures that are out there somewhere."

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow. "Perhaps this is the reason we found a Goa'uld within this chamber, O'Neill. Any number of the system lords would be most eager to possess such an important piece of writing."

"You're right, T. And the sooner we get it back to Earth, the better," Jack amended.

"This is amazing Daniel," Sam offered as she lightly brushed her fingers across the tablet held in Daniel's lap. "If we ever find Atlantis, we'll have a reference to take us to other worlds from there!" A grin quirked her lips. "Maybe my tumbling down that ramp was meant to be."

Jack looked at her in surprise, recalling again Grace's words; "_Sometimes we are led to do things we don't understand." _He smiled crookedly at Sam. "Maybe so; but next time, try not to injure yourself in the process, Ok Carter?"

"Yes sir," Sam smiled back, glad that this particular part of her little adventure had had a happy ending.

"Ok, Danny, wrap up your little rock there and put it in your pack. I want us out of this room. Frankly, the headless skeleton in the corner is starting to freak me out a bit." Jack shuddered in an exaggerated fashion before he got to his feet. "Teal'c, you start packing this stuff up OK?" After a nod of assent from Teal'c, Jack looked down at Sam in concern. "You going to be able to get up the steps, Carter?"

"Yes, sir. I won't be winning any races, but I should be able to get up them just fine," she assured him. She bent her legs in an attempt to get herself to her feet.

Jack leaned over to help her. "Come on, Major, up you go," Jack said as he reached under her arms and hauled her effortlessly to her feet. The moment she was upright, Sam closed her eyes as a wave of dizziness engulfed her. Without thought, she reached out and clutched the front of Jack's jacket, her fists whitening at her tight grip.

For his part, Jack just brought her closer, letting his arms move to her shoulders where he held her tightly in support. His eyes were full of concern as he took in her pale features; maybe she wasn't going to be able to climb those stairs as easily as she thought. "You OK?" Jack asked quietly once her grip on him relaxed.

Sam looked at him a bit sheepishly. "Yeah. Sorry about that, Sir. I just got a bit dizzy."

"I would be pleased to assist you up the stairs, Major Carter," Teal'c stated from just behind Jack. He had observed her unsteadiness and was concerned about her ability to navigate the long flight of steps as well.

"Uh, that's OK. Teal'c. I'll be fine. Thanks," she hastily assured all of them before moving out of Jack's arms. "One of you will have to lead the way; I did take a different route down here after all!"

"Yeah, I still don't get that. Why would one passage be a stairwell and the other be a ramp that ends short of the floor…and obviously designed to do some major damage to the fallee?" Jack asked the group at large.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure," Daniel replied, "But remember, the inscriptions mentioned only those who are worthy being allowed entrance. Maybe the ramp was a way of keeping the less desirable people away…by actually landing inside of the secret room without going through the door, they would never be able to uncover the hidden panel in the first place, much less figure out the combination. Uh, not that I'd ever label you as undesirable, Sam," Daniel hastily added, then flushed at both the double meaning of his words and the shocked look Jack sent his way.

Sam just laughed, "Don't worry about it, Daniel. So, are we ready? I may not last too long on my feet here."

At her words, Jack moved to her side, determined to help her up the stairs whether she liked it or not. "OK, Danny, you lead the way. Carter and I will follow; Teal'c, you take up the rear." The group of four fell into place and left the room, Sam throwing back one final glance as if looking for something she might have left behind. Jack's gaze followed hers, wondering what she was looking for within the gloomy room.

As they walked out the door, Sam tripped in the depression that had been caused by the laser. Jack's arm was instantly around her waist, steadying her and helping her to move on. He heard her quiet gasp of pain at the stumble and tightened his arm reassuringly for a moment before releasing her.

When they came to the narrow corridor, Jack eased her in front of him but stayed within an arm's reach, in case she should falter again. Daniel led the way, his flashlight illuminating the darkness. After a brief walk, which they took very slowly for Sam's benefit, they came to the base of the stone stairs. Sam bit back a groan as she looked up; this was going to be harder than she thought, but she was determined to make it on her own. Well, at least on her own two feet, she amended…she might need someone to hold onto seeing as there was no railing present.

Jack noticed the momentary pause to her steps. "One step at a time, Carter. We'll take it slow and rest as often as you need to, OK?"

Sam looked back at him. Noting the understanding look in his eyes, she nodded gratefully, then turned back to the stairs. Taking as deep of a breath as she could, Sam began the slow, steady climb to the top.

It seemed to take forever. Sam had to stop often to catch her breath, her hand frequently straying to her side in an attempt to hold in the pain, but she was determined to do this on her own. For his part, Jack just wanted to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way; or better yet, have Teal'c carry her, he thought as his own knees offered a protest at the notion. But he admired Sam's dogged determination and was going to allow her to do this her way, no matter how long it took. Never-the-less, he kept a tight grasp on her upper arm and helped propel her upward.

They were about 15 steps from the top when Sam stopped again, leaning heavily against the wall as she fought to catch her breath. "O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, not needing to verbalize his question.

"Let's just give her a minute, T," Jack replied, even as he closed the already small distance between him and Sam. Her eyes were closed against the sharp edges of pain and in a concentrated effort to get her breathing under control. "Carter? T and I can get you the rest of the way up. There's no need for you to prove anything, you know," he stated quietly.

Sam opened her eyes and looked at him. "I can do this, Colonel. I _want_ to do this. I know I don't need to prove anything to any of you; but I do need to prove it to myself." Their eyes stayed locked in silent communication for several seconds before Jack nodded his head, a look of understanding and empathy crossing his face before he was drawn away from a question from above him.

"Everything Ok down there?" Daniel called from the top of the steps. He had reached the portal a few minutes ago and was becoming concerned about the delay in seeing the rest of his team mates.

"Just fine, Danny. We'll be up there in a minute or two. Can you stack a few of the sleeping bags? Carter's going to need someplace soft to lie down once we get up there," Jack declared.

"Sure thing, Jack," Daniel replied before turning and heading back to the main room.

Jack looked back at Sam. "Ready?" he asked quietly. She nodded her assent, took one more deep breath, then steadfastly resumed her climb. By the time they reached the top, Sam was not only pale and breathing hard, but also sweating profusely. With one look at Jack, Teal'c stepped forward and picked her up in his arms, ignoring her weak protests. In all honesty, once she had reached the top, Sam didn't think she could move another step, and so hadn't really minded the free ride being offered by her somewhat friendly Jaffa transport.

Teal'c carried her quickly down the corridor and placed her gently on the spread out sleeping bags that Daniel had hastily arranged. He covered her lightly with the third and stepped back, allowing Jack to come closer. Sam groaned and rolled to her uninjured side, closing her eyes against the waves of nausea that were billowing over her. She was beginning to regret her stubbornness at taking the stairs on her own.

Jack knelt next to and raised her head, offering her some water, before gently laying her back down. Daniel knelt next to him and wiped her sweaty brow, his eyes full of worry. She fell into an exhausted sleep within minutes. Both men sat back on their heels, sighing deeply. "She going to be OK?" Daniel asked with quiet concern.

"Major Carter is a fierce warrior, Daniel Jackson. She will not allow her injuries to hamper her for long," Teal'c stated with quiet pride.

"Yeah, she's one stubborn woman," Jack admitted with more than a little pride himself. "But it's going to take her a while to recover from this" He got to his feet, running a hand tiredly through his hair. "I'd like to head back to the gate, but Carter's in no position to make that walk. Looks like we stay put for a while at least, boys."

Daniel and Teal'c nodded their agreement, then began to set up a more established residence than they had secured last night. Hopefully, they would not need to stay long – they had something of great importance to return to the SGC and wanted to ensure they did just that…before anyone else showed up looking for the tablet.

* * *

_Well, I am back to teacher workshops so updates won't be as frequent...sorry. I am hoping to have the writing portion done by Labor Day weekend and the postings soon after that. I think I have about 3 - 4 more chapters. And yes, Grace will reappear at least once! Hope the description of the tablet wasn't too confusing but I wanted to leave it a bit vague as, at this point in the series, they didn't know much about the Lost City. Please review...I'd love to hear your thoughts!_


	13. Something to Talk About

_Here is the chapter a lot of you have been waiting for...the discussion! Hope it lives up to expectation! Lots of great questions in the reviews...some will be answered here, others in a later chapter. To Taeriel, you are exactly right; my intention was that the tablet would be used when they eventually made it to Atlantis. SGAngel; hope this chapter answers your question...it was a very good one! Iamdragonrider; you keep me on my toes! On with the story!_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 13 – Something to Talk About**

Darkness had fallen once again on P7J-413, although, as opposed to the previous night, all members of SG-1 were present and accounted for. Well, accounted for at least. Daniel and Teal'c were currently sleeping in the middle of the main room of the temple, their soft snores rumbling off the stone walls.

Sam was also lying in her sleeping bag, although there was not much sleeping occurring at this particular moment in time. Her side and head, though feeling much better than earlier when they had made the long climb back to the main room, were still paining her and Sam was finding it difficult to settle into a comfortable position. She had been secretly relieved when another storm had blow up shortly after dinner; the Colonel had been talking about returning to their campsite near the lake, wanting to be closer to the path that would lead them back to the Stargate. For her part, Sam really didn't think she could take a night sleeping on the cold ground. Granted, the stone floor of the temple was not much better, but at least she didn't have to fight the cold _and_ the innumerable bumps on the unprotected ground. Besides, her CO had insisted she use his sleeping bag for added comfort, so it really wasn't too bad. She had slept on and off most of the day and just didn't find herself very tired at the moment.

Shifting from her back to her uninjured side, Sam let her eyes wander the temple, unconsciously looking for her CO. She smiled to herself when she saw him seated and leaning against one of the temple pillars, looking out into the dark night. Even from this angle and in the darkness, she could see the focused set of his body and could imagine his eyes flickering back and forth, searching for any sign of something amiss out in the darkness of the storm. When they had first discovered the tablet, Jack had wanted to leave the temple and head back to the Stargate. However, Sam's injuries had prevented them from moving on, and so he had settled in for at least one more day at the temple. He had been ready to send Teal'c and Daniel back to the Stargate for medical assistance… Sam had slept like the dead for over two hours after the exhausting climb up the stairs and all three men were more than a little concerned about her. But she had woken up both looking and feeling much better, and had insisted that she would be fine to travel the following morning. And so, Jack had acquiesced, but not without some reservations. He had made her stay fairly sedate for the remainder of the day, plying her with antibiotics and pain killers. Basically, she had spent the daywatching Daniel as he worked within the main room of the temple.

Sam sighed, the familiar feeling of guilt washing over her. If only she hadn't touched those symbols, Daniel would not have had to waste precious time trying to rescue her. True, her little accident had led them to something that had the possibility of proving to be invaluable, but she wished she hadn't gotten hurt in the process and forestalled their return home. Added to her feelings of guilt was the knowledge that she hadn't disclosed to any of them all that had happened to her within the depths of the temple. And though she still felt certain that Grace had been a figment of her imagination, she knew she should mention the girl's appearance to her team. With these thoughts in mind, Sam pushed back her sleeping bag and rose to her feet, determined to set things right, at least with her CO.

As he leaned against the stone pillar, Jack was having similar thoughts. Not of guilt over Sam's fall, but of not mentioning Grace to any of them. While he had told both Daniel and Teal'c he'd talk about what had happened later, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. How would he explain the child's presence? As a ghost? A hallucination? What?

Jack sighed in frustration as he idly pulled the abandoned white ribbon from his pocket; its presence indicating that his previous musings were not accurate – for if Grace was a hallucination, how could he have her hair ribbon? He let his fingers rub over the satiny surface of the ribbon, thinking of the brown-eyed, curly-haired girl it belonged to and wishing he could talk to her once more

He was brought from his musings by the soft gasp of discomfort uttered by Sam as she made her way over to him and sank down next to him, leaning against the same pillar as he was. Her thigh lightly brushed his as she settled herself more comfortably against the column.

"Hey. You should be sleeping," he reminded her quietly, looking at her with concern.

"Yeah. Couldn't get comfortable," she replied. "Besides, it's kind of loud in there," she said with a grin, pointing her thumb backwards.

A loud crack of thunder echoed from over the nearby ravine, causing Sam to jump slightly in surprise. "Any louder than it is out here?" Jack asked with a grin.

Sam smiled back at him, then let her gaze shift down and away, trying to think of how to start the conversation she had in mind. She ended up not needing an opener of any kind as her eyes widened in shock and she did a quick double take at Jack's hand. She was momentarily speechless as she tried to grasp the reality of what he was holding. "Wh…where did you get that?" she stammered in alarm, reaching out to touch the satin ribbon.

Jack's fingers stopped their absent movement on the ribbon when they came into contact with hers. His eyes bored into hers; and he didn't feel all that shocked with the knowledge that came to him suddenly. She knew something about this ribbon… and perhaps its owner.

"You know who this belongs to?" he asked quietly, his eyes not leaving her face.

Sam nodded her head, not able to speak just yet. Was it possible that he had also seen Grace? But how could that be?

Jack looked back at the ribbon, frowning in thought. "I found this last night, when I went to investigate a sound I heard down one of the corridors. I heard," here he looked back at her, "A voice…singing. A child's voice to be more precise."

Her eyes left the ribbon and locked on his. "_Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_?" Sam asked with bated breath.

Jack gave her a puzzled look before it changed to a slight grin. "No, actually. _Somewhere Over the Rainbow_. I do love that song," he reminisced with a soft smile.

"Did you…did you find who the voice belonged to?" Sam asked, her eyes wide and alert.

"Yeah, I did. And I have a feeling you know who I'm talking about. Am I right Carter?" he asked gently, yet somehow still with enough authority to demand an honest answer from her.

Sam's eyes were filled with uncertainty, yet she answered him truthfully. "Grace." It was said as a breathless statement, not a question.

Jack nodded his head. "Grace," he agreed. "A rather cute kid; smart, kind of talkative, curly brown hair…"

"I can't believe this," Sam shook her head, wincing slightly at the pain this caused her. "I thought…I was sure she was a hallucination. I mean, I saw her before, on the Prometheus that time I was missing. But I saw Daniel, Teal'c, Dad, even you …and I know _you_ weren't there." She flushed slightly at the remembrance. "I had to have been imagining everything." She looked down at her hands clasped tightly in her lap. "Or so I thought." She looked back at him, a pleading in her eyes that he rarely saw. "Sir, what's going on?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Damned if I know. You're the smart one here, remember?" When she didn't respond to that, Jack continued. "All I know, Carter, is that I saw this little girl down the corridor, and she led me to you."

"What… was she like? With you I mean. When she was with me, she was…kind of like a little adult at times; wouldn't let me go to sleep at first, told me to bind my ribs. Later, she gave me the clue to open the door…with the dice I mean," she added sheepishly at his questioning look.

Jack smiled at that. "Didn't think it could be you remembering childhood games at a time like that, Carter." He looked back at the ribbon before answering her question. "She was…strange. Not _strange_ strange, but strange." At Sam's confused look, he tried to clarify what he meant. "One minute, she acted like a kid, bouncing the flashlight off the walls and giggling. The next she acted like some Ancient…talking like Shifu did – _Tall cows can't eat short grass_ – you know, that stuff." Jack waved his hand as if swatting flies.

Sam smiled for the first time since this conversation had begun; his butchering of the phrase and the image of tall cows trying to eat short grass creating quiet a picture in her mind. At Jack's "What?" she just shook her head and said, "Nothing, Sir," but still retained her smile.

They sat in silence a while, each lost in their own thoughts, before Jack spoke again. "Carter, did she tell you who she was?" He watched her carefully out of the corner of his eye.

Sam wrinkled her brow in thought. "She just told me she was Grace and that she was there to help me. Why? What did she say to you?" She was sensing that he knew something she didn't.

Jack looked out into the dark night for a moment, wondering how she was going to react to this next piece of news. Sighing, he turned so that he was fully facing her. "Carter, Grace told me that her _mother_ was stuck in the lower part of the temple and needed help. She said her mother's name was Samantha."

For the first time in seven years, Jack was witness to Samantha Carter being totally speechless. Her eyes widened, her mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. Finally, "But I don't understand…how can that be possible?" she breathed out, eyes wide in confusion.

"Like I said, I don't know, Carter. But one thing is certain…if Grace is anyone's kid, she's definitely yours." Sam searched his face, looking for the tell-tale signs that he was teasing her. But she didn't see any.

"Why do you say that?" she whispered.

Jack smiled as he recalled his short time with the little girl. "Well, aside from being smart as a whip, she had your giggle, your smile, is definitely _not_ afraid of the dark, your insatiable curiosity and," here he looked at her with perplexity, "She knew about you blowing up that sun a few years ago."

Sam's brows knit, deep in thought, her mind working overtime, trying to get a grasp on this situation. "I never mentioned that to her," she whispered to herself.

"Well, maybe not now, but sometime in the future, you obviously do. She mentioned once that she _wasn't here yet_. I'm assuming that means she will be…eventually," Jack replied.

She frowned. "But how could someone from my _future_ come back and help me? Not even allowing for the conjecture of time travel and all the dangers inherent in influencing someone's choices, she seemed to come and go at will; being with me and with you, but vanishing at will. If a person truly went backward or forward in time, their body would experience…"

"Ack, Carter. Stop it, OK? You've got a headache and you're going to give me one." He took her right hand in his, trying to calm her down. "Look, neither one of us really understands this, and maybe we're not meant to. She led me to you and subsequently to the tablet. She must have been sent here for that specific purpose. Just like I'm guessing she was sent to the Prometheus a few months ago. Like I already said – I don't know why she showed up. But I'm glad that she did," he added meaningfully.

Their eyes locked as they tried to take everything in. Tentatively, Sam broached the question that had been uppermost in her mind the minute he had mentioned that she might be Grace's mother…well, future mother at least. "Did she…did she tell you who her father was?"

Jack winced slightly at the question, letting go of her hand to lean back against the pillar once more. "No, she pretty much evaded that question." He gave her a sideways glance, then looked back out into the darkness. "Whoever he is, he's a lucky bastard," he added under his breath, but Sam still heard him. He leaned back against the pillar and closed his eyes, seeing Grace's cherubic face behind his closed eyes. The curly hair, impish grin, and wide, sparkling brown eyes…and he wondered fleetingly what color of eyes that cop had, before he resolutely pushed the thought away.

Sam blushed and looked away as her mind registered his mumbled sentence. Did he mean whoever was Grace's father was lucky because Grace was such a remarkable child? Or because of who the child's mother was? Shaking the thought away, she tried to wrap her mind around all she had learned. Grace was not a figment of her imagination, but someone who would apparently be an important part of her future; her daughter to be exact. She had been sent by someone to help them. And while Sam couldn't imagine _who_hadsent her anymore than she could imagine being a mother at this point in time, the thought did cause a warm, gentle feeling to flow through her.

She chanced a glance at her CO, whose eyes were once again staring out into the darkness. Dark brown eyes, not unlike those of the child who had helped save her not once, but twice. Sam sighed and pulled her gaze away; it wouldn't help either one of them if she let her thoughts wander in the direction they were currently going.

Jack looked back at her upon hearing her sigh. Misinterpreting the sound, he said, "Maybe you should go back in. Try and get some sleep. We need to head back early tomorrow; it's going to be a long trek back to the gate."

Sensing he was finished with this topic for now, Sam nodded her agreement and began to slowly push herself to her feet. Jack rose quickly and pulled her up, not wanting her to exert herself anymore than necessary. Though he wouldn't mention it to her, he was very concerned about how she would hold up on the hike back and wanted her as rested as possible.

When she was upright, Sam offered him a small smile, then turned to go. She had takentwo steps when she abruptly stopped and turned back. "Uh, sir?" she asked tentatively.

"What is it Carter?" Jack asked tiredly. He wasn't sure he was up to discussing this any further tonight.

"What do we tell the others? I mean about Grace? I'm not too worried about how Daniel or Teal'c will take this…but the General…," she left the rest unsaid.

Jack ran a hand tiredly through his hair. "I'm not sure, Carter. Part of me thinks we don't even mention it at all. After all, it's kinda hard to explain, isn't it?"

"A bit," she admitted wryly. "But I think it's hard not to…especially seeing as she led us to the tablet, sir."

Jack frowned in thought; she had a point. And he did promise to explain to Daniel and Teal'c. Sighing, he replied, "Let's just hold off making a decision about it for now, OK? I need some time to think."

"Yes, sir," she replied, then added, "Thank you, sir."

He raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

She smiled shyly at him. "For telling me about my...about Grace. And for reassuring me that I wasn't hallucinating down in that chamber." Their eyes locked for several moments, then she turned and went back into the temple, leaving Jack to his thoughts.

Hidden by the blanket of darkness that stretched beyond the temple, neither one of them spotted the little girl standing near a cluster of trees and watching them intently. Her dark eyes followed the woman as she walked back into the temple, then gazed at the man as he tiredly took his place against the pillars once more. Frowning, she cocked her head and turned; looking off into the distance, in the direction of the Stargate. When she looked back toward the temple once more, her small features were filled with trepidation.

_TBC..._


	14. A Slight Change of Plans

_Hidden by the blanket of darkness that stretched beyond the temple, neither one of them spotted the little girl standing next to a cluster of trees and watching them intently. Her eyes followed the woman as she walked back into the temple, then gazed at the man as he tiredly took his place against the pillars once more. Frowning, she cocked her head and turned; looking off into the distance, in the direction of the Stargate. When she looked back toward the temple, her small features were filled with trepidation_.

**Chapter 14 – A Slight Change of Plans**

The sun shone brightly the next morning – all traces of the stormy night washed away, except for the scattered puddles lying about the ground. After ascertaining that his 2IC was no worse than she had been yesterday, Jack had gotten his team up and moving. Gear had been packed, Daniel's notes tucked safely away with the stone tablet, and the team was ready to move out. Sam had taken several pain killers, without Codeine this time, and was ready for the long walk ahead; or so she hoped. She was still stiff and sore, but her ribs didn't pain her quite as much as the previous day. Nor was she experiencing headaches or dizziness as she had yesterday.

Jack had talked with Sam briefly that morning, informing her of his decision to wait to mention Grace until they were back at the SGC. He wanted everyone focused on getting safely back and didn't want the added distraction that a discussion about Grace might provide. Plus he figured he could kill two birds with one stone – tell Daniel and Teal'c at the same time they briefed General Hammond. Though she didn't like withholding information from her team mates, Sam readily agreed with Jack's decision and said no more about it.

The four members of SG-1 stood on top of the steps to the temple, surveying the open area around them. "Well, its been an interesting trip, but time to head home and pay the bills. Everyone ready?" Jack asked, slipping on his sunglasses and looking expectantly at his team mates.

"Uh, one thing sir," Sam spoke up hesitantly. Jack raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "In all the…excitement…of the past few days, I forgot to mention the energy reading I took when we first came here. It seems as if there is an energy source coming from the direction of the ravine. I'm guessing there might be a supply of naquadah located deep within the ravine."

Jack glanced in the direction she indicated, then he looked back at her. "Are you proposing, Major, that I let you climb down there to check it out?" he asked, a tone of disbelief in his voice.

Sam smiled. "No, sir. I just wanted you to be aware of the energy reading. I'll be putting it into my mission report. I'm sure the General will want to send another team back to check it out."

"Well, OK, then. Just so long as it's not us." Jack looked at his team.. "_Now_ are we ready?" At their nods, they began their trek away from the temple, stopping briefly at their campsite to pack up the remainder of their gear before heading to the hill that would lead them back the way they had come. When they got to the bottom of the hill, Jack sent Teal'c and Daniel ahead. As Sam made to follow them, he stopped her with a hand to her arm.

"Carter, I don't want a repeat of yesterday and those stairs, if you get my drift. You stop when you need to rest - do I make myself clear? No proving anything to anyone. If I so much as _think_ you are pushing yourself too hard, I will put you over my shoulder and carry you up myself. Is that understood Major?"

Sam looked into his eyes, noting the seriousness in their depths. "Yes sir," she mumbled, looking down. There was no doubt in her mind that he would do just what he threatened; and in her book, that would be so much worse than her requesting frequent breaks.

"Good. Let's head up then, shall we?" Sam nodded and began the ascent, conscious of Jack's presence close beside her.

While the hike down had been relatively easy, the walk back up was not; at least for Sam. Her ribs twinged with the different movement required to climb the hill and her leg, awash with a fresh set of bruises, ached by the time they were halfway up the hill. Jack had unconsciously placed his hand at her elbow when she began to slow, offering support as they climbed.

Sam pulled to a stop at the halfway mark, her breathing moderately labored and a sheen of sweat already covering her face.

"Sir, I need…" she didn't get to finish.

"Drink some water – we're taking five," Jack ordered. "Teal'c, Daniel, we're resting for a few minutes. Go ahead to the top and wait for us there."

"Everything all right, Jack?" Daniel asked as he glanced back, a worried edge to his voice.

"We're fine Danny. We'll be right after you," Jack reassured the younger man. He looked back at his 2IC, relieved to see she had plenty of color in her cheeks – unlike yesterday when she had been as white as a ghost. "You going to be OK?" he asked softly. Sam just nodded in answer, not wanting to waste her breath talking.

After a five minute break, Sam was ready to continue so resumed the trek up the hill, Jack once more close to her side. She needed one more brief rest before they crested the top of the hill, where Sam gratefully sank to the ground next to Daniel and sipped at her water. Daniel shot Jack a concerned look. Jack sent back his own silent communication; indicating his concern about Sam, but also his certainty that she would be fine.

Teal'c had walked a few feet away from his team members, his head cocked to the side as he listened intently. Jack walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What's up, T?" he asked quietly.

"I am unsure, O'Neill. The forest has grown quiet. Something is amiss," he replied, a frown of concern darkening his features. Jack moved away from Teal'c, letting his own eyes carefully peruse the darkness of the trees in front of him. He felt rather than heard Daniel and Sam come up behind him.

"What is it sir?" Sam asked, her voice quiet and all senses on alert.

"Not sure. Something has Teal'c in a dander though," Jack replied, the words light but the tone serious. They all trusted Teal'c's senses implicitly and didn't take lightly any inkling of danger that he might be having.

After a few brief moments waiting, Teal'c turned to them abruptly. "O'Neill, we must move into an area that provides more cover. There is no time for hesitation."

Jack didn't waste a minute. "You heard the man. Move out." The foursome quickly moved off to their left, into the dense covering of the trees, instead of down the hill that led toward the marshes. They had only gone a few yards when they heard the unmistakable sounds of an Alkesh coming closer. "Crap! Why now?" Jack complained harshly as he pushed Sam ahead of him and retreated further into the forest.

They stopped under the overhanging bows of a tall tree, similar to a Douglas Fir. Its thick, green branches obstructed them from view. The sound of the approaching spacecraft grew louder and Jack could just make out the shiny silver surface of the craft as it flew above them, followed closely by another.

"Great, just great. Would it be too much to ask that for once, when we find something significant, we don't have the Goa'uld on our asses?" Jack asked no one in particular. "I mean really, have we ever barged in on them uninvited?" His question was met by three pairs of raised eyebrows, to which he offered an absent shrug.

"We should attempt to ascertain who has arrived on this planet, O'Neill," Teal'c interrupted the tirade. "Perhaps it is the Tok'ra, and not the Goa'uld as we fear."

"Good point, T." He turned to Daniel and Sam, who was looking a bit pale, but otherwise seemed unaffected by their hasty march into the woods. "Danny, you and Carter stay put. Teal'c and I will make our way to the ridge and see what's going on. I'll stay in contact. If something happens, you two need to get back to the gate. We can't risk them getting their slimy hands on that tablet."

"Yes, sir."

"What about you guys, Jack?" Daniel asked, his gaze flickering between Jack and Sam; he was concerned that, on his own, he might not to be able to help Sam _and_ protect the tablet, should the need arise.

"We'll be right behind you Danny, don't worry." Jack held the younger man's gaze a moment, nodded at them both, then turned and quietly followed Teal'c back toward the top of the ridge. Both Daniel and Sam had their weapons pulled out before the other two left the safety of the tree and now stood looking out into the forest, ready for whatever might come next.

A mere 15 minutes later, Sam's radio crackled to life. "Carter, we're heading back. Keep alert. O'Neill out." Sam and Daniel remained on alert, turning in unison when they heard the crackling of the twigs and saw the green outfits of their teammates parting the low branches of the tree.

Jack stood before them and sighed. "Well, it's not Dad down there." He stated meaningfully, looking at Sam who gazed back at him in immediate understanding; it wasn't the Tok'ra that had come to the planet unannounced. "About 8 Jaffa poured out of each Alkesh, followed by a Goa'uld. Some of them went into the temple with the snake; the others are searching the area."

"They must have heard something about the great source of power to be found within the temple," Daniel stated, looking thoughtful.

"Or they picked up the naquadah on their scanners," Sam added.

"Whatever the reason, they're here now," Jack complained.

"Could you tell who it was Teal'c?" Daniel questioned.

"I could not. But we will not remain safe here for long; the Jaffa who serve this Goa'uld will see the signs of our camp and will search the area."

Even as he said the words, they heard the faint sounds of clinking armor as several Jaffa struggled up the steep hill. "We can't risk taking these guys out right here; it will just bring the rest of them running," Jack said to the group. "We're going to take the round-about way back to the gate," Jack informed them.

Sam looked at her team mates, gnawing her bottom lip in uncertainty. "Sir, I might not be able…"

"You'll be fine Carter," he interrupted. "We'll help you. There's no time to waste; let's move out."

They left the cover of the large tree, as quickly and quietly as possible, skirting the path and staying within the darkness of the forest. After 30 minutes of walking, it was apparent that Sam would not be able to keep up the pace for long. She was lagging already; the only thing helping her keep tempo with the men was Daniel's hand on her arm, propelling her onward. Jack had taken point as Teal'c covered their six. And while he was conscious of Sam's diminished capacity to keep up, Jack was hell-bent on getting them back to the gate as quickly as possible – and in one piece.

When Sam stumbled to her knees and remained there, breathing heavily, Daniel called a quick halt. "Jack, we have to stop! Sam can't keep up with this pace."

Jack came back to them and crouched in front of her. "Carter?"

"I'm sorry…sir. I… just need…to catch… my breath," she wheezed out, clutching her side to try and ease the pain that had started anew.

"Shit!" Jack exclaimed, looking around the area; his senses on high alert. He knew the possibility that the Jaffa were right on their tails was pretty high. But he couldn't push Sam to do something that her body obviously couldn't handle right now.

Sam blanched at the cuss word, awash with guilt over the fact that it was her fault they had to stop, but unable to do anything about it. Jack saw the look and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, letting her know that she shouldn't blame herself.

"O'Neill. We must not remain here," Teal'c stated with urgency. If the Jaffa were trailing them, he knew they would be here before long.

"I know T, I know." His gaze met the Jaffa's eyes, a silent communication occurring between the two warriors. "We're going to need to split up," Jack stated decisively. "Teal'c, I'll need you and Daniel to draw the Jaffa off our trail. Then get yourselves to the gate as quickly as possible. If it's clear, get Daniel through with that tablet and bring back reinforcements."

Daniel's eyes widened in alarm at this new proposal. "Wait a minute! What about you and Sam? You can't just sit here and wait for another SG team to come back you up!"

"We're not going to just sit here, Danny. We're near the ravine. While you two draw the Jaffa away, we can get there and climb down a little way. We just might be able to find an outcropping of rocks to hide behind; better yet, a cave. We'll stay there at least until the threat has passed. Heck, if there's only a few Jaffa on our tail, Carter and I can take them out and join you at the gate within a short time," he assured the younger man.

"Sir," Sam spoke up hesitantly, "Teal'c may need you… to help secure the gate. I'll find somewhere to hide… and wait here. That tablet… is too important; I can't let you risk losing it… because of my inability to keep up," she insisted, still breathless but meeting his gaze with determination.

"That _tablet_ is not the only thing that's important here, Major," he replied, his eyes sparkling with a hint of anger. "And you know me a hell of a lot better than that; we leave no one behind."

"But Sir," she tried.

"No! I don't have time to argue about this." Turning back to Teal'c and Daniel, he stated, "You have your orders. If you think it's safe, take the Jaffa out T. But don't leave any evidence behind. Stay on silent communication and let me know when Daniel is safely through the gate." Teal'c nodded solemnly and pulled out his Zat, waiting expectantly for Daniel. With one last look of unease, Daniel turned and followed Teal'c back the way they had come; the two men intent on confusing the Jaffa with a new trail… and hopefully leading them away from Jack and Sam.

Jack turned back to Sam, still a hint of anger in his demeanor: he couldn't believe that she had even _considered_ the idea of being left behind! "Let's move, Carter!" he ordered, even as he reached down and pulled her to her feet.

Sensing his anger, Sam allowed herself to be pulled up and followed him further into the forest, to the edge of the ravine. Jack edged closer, leaning to peer over the steep edge of the rocky cliffs. He grimaced as he noticed how sheer the rock face was; he'd never be able to get himself down there, much less his injured 2IC. Sam had come to stand by his side, shuddering as she, too took in the steep drop. "We'll never be able to maneuver our way along that, Sir."

Before Jack could respond, they heard the distinct clinking sounds of the approaching Jaffa guard. "We're going to have to try something, Carter. I don't think these guys are coming to welcome us to the neighborhood."

"This way," a soft, insistent voice called to them. Sam and Jack turned simultaneously to their right, to see the familiar figure of a small child standing near the edge of the cliff. "Please, follow me, Sir. I know where you can hide," she pleaded, her large brown eyes beseeching him to listen. When he didn't move, but just stood there in startled indecision, she turned her eyes to Sam. "Please Mommy; please come with me." She stood with both hands outstretched, beckoning them forward with small waves of her fingers. "There's not much time. You have to trust me."

Sam looked at the child intently, her gaze roving over the small face of the girl who would one day be her child. In that moment, her heart knew the truth; this little girl truly was her child. Though she didn't understand the how or the why of it, she knew this much was true. And so, without hesitation, she left her commanding officer's side and made her way over to her daughter.

* * *

Next chapter should be out this weekend...thanks for your patience!


	15. In Plain Sight

_Sam looked at the child intently, her gaze roving over the small face of the girl who would one day be her child. In that moment, her heart knew the truth; this little girl truly was her child. Though she didn't understand the how or the why of it, she knew this much was true. And so, without hesitation, she left her commanding officer's side and made her way over to her daughter_. 

**Chapter 15 – In Plain Sight**

"Carter!" The loud bark of her commanding officer forced Sam's steps to falter as she turned back questioningly. "Just where the _hell_ do you think you're going?"

Sam let her gaze shift from Jack to Grace, then back again. "With Grace," she said succinctly. At his raised eyebrows, she elaborated. "You did say we had to try something, sir. I think Grace has the answer. She hasn't steered us wrong yet, has she?" They both looked at the little girl, her eyes pleading with them to follow her.

Not waiting for a reply, Sam continued on her path toward the child. Jack glanced behind him at the ever increasing sounds of the approaching Jaffa, sighed heavily, and followed Sam over near the ravine's edge, where Grace waited. As he neared, he saw the child's face lighten in relief before she turned and maneuvered her way further along the edge of the ravine.

"Grace, be careful!" Sam cried softly, hurrying to catch up. Grace turned to her with a reassuring smile. "It's all right Mommy. Don't worry."

Suddenly and without warning, Grace dropped from view, causing Sam to lurch forward, making a frantic grab at the child. Jack heard her horrified cry of "Oh my God!" before he was at her side in seconds, pulling her back from the edge.

Sam struggled against his hold, trying to get back to the rim of the ravine and Grace. "Let me go! We need to get her," she cried out, her eyes filled with fear at the sudden disappearance of the little girl. With a sudden wrenching of her arm, she pulled away and rushed forward, dropping to her knees at the spot where Grace had vanished from sight.

"Carter!" Jack growled out, before joining her in an instant. Dropping next to Sam and peering down, his felt his own heart beating frantically at the prospect of losing both of them over the edge of the precipitous cliff.

When he saw the upturned face of the little girl smiling back at him, Jack felt an enormous sense of relief flood his body. He knew Sam felt much the same, as she unconsciously grabbed his hand, squeezed tightly and breathed out, "Thank God!"

Jack and Sam knelt on either side of a deep fissure that dropped five feet to a ledge below. He leaned forward, looking sternly at the child below; his short lived relief being over-taken by an anger caused from worry. Although she was safely standing on the ledge below, there was still a sheer drop beyond that and Jack's already tight nerves made him retort sharply, "For crying out loud, Grace! You scared us half to death…what the hell were you thinking?"

At the tone of remonstration, the smile fell from Grace's face and she looked duly chastised. "I'm sorry…sir." She looked to Sam, her eyes filling with tears. "I just wanted…to show you a safe place…to hide." She turned away, brushing absently at the tears that fell and trying to control the trembling of her lower lip. Sam shot a frown at Jack for making the child cry, got abruptly to her feet, and dropped into the fissure in one smooth movement, making Jack wonder absently if her ribs had been miraculously mended. Sam dropped to her knees on the ledge and gathered the child in her arms, whispering words of comfort and assurance that they weren't angry with her, they had just been worried.

Jack, muttering under his breath that whoever Grace's father was, he'd better have a strong heart, got to his feet, took a quick look behind him, and made the short leap down to the ledge below. While the sounds of the approaching Jaffa had dissipated for now, he wasn't going to take any chances.

Grace peered at him from under the safety of Sam's arms, her dark, watery eyes looking at him with a trace of alarm. Jack cursed himself; he'd never intended to make her afraid of him. Between the looks he was receiving from both females, he felt as if he'd just kicked a puppy or something equally as horrible. Softening his voice, he knelt in front of the little girl and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Grace. I didn't mean to yell at you. You just… well frankly, you scared me. Both of us actually," he looked over at Sam for confirmation. "We don't want anything to happen to you."

Grace stared at him quietly for a moment, before letting a small smile tug at her lips. "That's OK, sir. Mommy says you're a bear when you get worried." A soft giggle escaped her lips, before she resolutely covered her mouth with her hand and looked up at Sam in apology. Sam smiled down at her, before letting her eyes meet Jack's. In response to his questioning look, she shrugged non-committally, but couldn't quite keep the grin off her face.

Rolling his eyes, Jack got to his feet, followed quickly by Sam. "Ok, ladies, this place is not exactly the safest from which to hide from the Jaffa. One glance down and its 'Game over, thanks for playing'. I assume you know somewhere else to go, little Miss Know-it-all?" Jack directed this question to Grace with a quirk of his eyebrow, so she would know he wasn't getting angry again.

Grace smiled brilliantly at him, causing both Sam and Jack to pause momentarily in wonder. "I know somewhere. Follow me." She released herself from the safety of Sam's arms but kept a tight hold on her hand. Grace turned and began to edge her way along the ledge, looking back to make sure Jack was following them.

They hadn't gone more than 10 feet when Sam pulled her to a stop. The ledge had grown narrower and small rocks were tumbling down the steep ravine, loosened by the movements of the three people. "Grace, are you sure about this? I don't see anyplace to go and this is getting more dangerous." Sam wouldn't admit that the sight of the drop was causing her to feel dizzy as well. Her previous head wound was still affecting her sense of balance.

Jack pulled to a stop behind Sam. He didn't miss the way she looked down after questioning Grace or how her already pale face lost a bit more of its color. He edged closer and put a hand at her waist, pushing her closer to the wall of the rock. "Grace?" he asked, looking across Sam toward the little girl.

She looked up at both adults, her eyes going back and forth between them. Finally she said softly, "Do you trust me?" At her words, Sam's eyes widened in revelation. In that split second, the words she spoke and the expression on this little girl's face told her _exactly_ who her father was. The shock this insight caused her rendered her speechless, but she tightened her grip on the little girl's hand and nodded her answer. She didn't dare look back at her commanding officer; she wasn't sure what his reaction was, never mind what her own might tell him.

For his part, when Jack heard the question posed from Grace, it just convinced him all the more that the child was Carter's. From the serious expression on her face to the intent look in her eyes, she was all Sam; just the coloring of her eyes and hair was off. Jack answered verbally when it appeared Sam would not. "Yes Grace, I trust you. We both do. You led me to Carter and helped us get her out. You also gave me quite a few clues to open the hidden compartment. But we need to find somewhere fast," Jack looked behind him, then at the back of Sam's head, before returning his gaze to Grace meaningfully.

The little girl nodded her head, curls bobbing on her shoulders, understanding his unspoken words. "It is not much farther, I promise." Then she turned and continued to inch her way along, Sam's hand held tightly in her grasp. Jack followed Sam, not letting his hand leave her waist as they inched along together.

Another 15 feet or so passed them by before the ledge widened and opened up to reveal a cave hidden in the wall of the cliff. Grace tugged on Sam's hand and led her into the darkness of the cave, Jack on their heels. He pulled out his flashlight and shined it around the interior of the small space. The cave was shallow, yet deep enough to hide them from view should anyone try and peer over the cliff edge in search of them. There was more than enough room for the three of them to sit comfortably; they could even lie down and spread out should they so desire.

"Not bad, kiddo. Not bad at all. How did you know about this place?" he turned to ask Grace. She just shrugged her shoulders in response and Jack accepted her non-answer. He knew there were many things that this child could not tell them and he would not press her.

Concerned with how quiet Sam had become, he walked over to her and peered closely at her. "Carter, you OK?"

Sam's mind was in turmoil; the revelation she had experienced on the cliff face was warring with what she knew had to be the impossibility of it all. How could Grace's father be the man who now stood in front of her? Maybe she was willing into existence what was a deep-seated longing on her part? Yet all the clues came together; had in fact been in plain sight the whole time. The smile that seemed familiar, the penchant for fun and games that the child displayed, and the multiple references to _The Wizard of Oz _were all clues that Sam should have picked up on earlier. She looked down at the child beside her, scrutinizing the small face for any other apparent clue that might prove or disprove her current thoughts. She was startled from her musings by Jack's hands on her shoulders, giving her a slight shake. In a slightly louder tone he said, "Carter!"

Her eyes flew to his, a flush of embarrassment crossing her face. "Uh, sorry sir. What did you say?" she blinked at him in confusion.

He frowned down at her. "I asked if you were OK, though your response kinda gives me an answer." His gaze roved her from head to toe, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Sam looked away, unable and unwilling to hold his gaze for long. She looked down to her left to see Grace looking up at her in equal concern. "I'm just tired, that's all," she hastily reassured both of them.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her, not quite believing her. But rather than give her the third degree right now, he let his hands fall to his side. "Sit down and rest for a while. I want you and Grace as far back in this cave as possible." When she opened her mouth to protest, he interrupted her. "That's an order, Major. I'm going to try and contact Teal'c – see what's happening on his end."

Sam nodded before she moved to the back of the cave with Grace in tow. They settled down on the floor, Grace leaning heavily against her mother's side causing Sam to put an arm around her and draw her closer, marveling at how right this felt. Both of them looked toward the front of the cave, where Jack had placed himself against the inner wall just inside the opening of the cave.

He was just about to toggle his radio and contact Teal'c when he heard the definite sounds of the Jaffa from above. He cast a quick glance at Sam, signaling both her and Grace to remain quiet, while he shrank back a bit more into the shadows of the cave, clutching his P-90 tightly in his hands. A loud voice from above shouted orders; "Jaffa! Kree. Kel rac teknor!" Though he didn't know exactly what was being said, Jack had a good idea that they had found their trail, which meant that Teal'c and Daniel hadn't been able to them out. They had at least pulled them off the trail long enough to allow the three of them to find this cave…with Grace's help, he amended as he spared a glance in her direction. He just hoped to God that Teal'c and Daniel were safely on their way to the gate.

From the sounds coming from above, Jack figured there were only 3 or 4 Jaffa at most; an easy enough number for him and Carter to take out without trouble should the need arise. Sam rose to her feet at the voice of the Jaffa leader, thinking much the same thing, but Jack motioned her back down. As long as they stayed quiet and out of sight, he didn't think they would have to engage the enemy. And he really wanted to avoid that at all costs right now. Even though he was reasonable sure that Grace would disappear should danger come close, he didn't want to take any chances. In addition, he wasn't all that confident that Carter was up to par in terms of her ability to hold her own during a fire fight.

After what seemed like hours but was really only 30 minutes, the Jaffa patrol moved off, leaving peace and quiet in their wake. "Are they gone?" Grace whispered, still clinging tightly to Sam's arm as if afraid to let go.

Sam looked to Jack, who nodded his head, before bending her head down to the little girl's. "They're gone Grace. But we should still remain quiet for a while, OK?"

Grace looked solemnly up at Sam and shook her head in agreement before laying it back against her arm.

Jack took in the scene, a smile playing on his lips. They looked so right together, it was uncanny, but it caused an ache deep inside at what he felt he would be missing out on in the future. He caught Sam's eyes and the smile died on his lips. She was looking at him with such intensity that it caused his heart to skip a beat and forced him to look behind him, thinking perhaps one of the Jaffa was standing behind him. Seeing nothing, he looked back at her in question but found her features schooled once again. He let his gaze move to Grace, who was looking at him almost as intently as Sam had just moments ago. If he didn't know better, he thought she was desperately trying to tell him something…something of utmost importance.

* * *

_Not quite the end yet! This chapter took a lot of reworking to get it how I wanted it...hope you enjoyed it! More to come soon!_


	16. Till We Meet Again

_The longest chapter yet! Gets a bit emotional but hopefully not too over the top. This one was tough - I hope it came out OK. I think I have only one more chapter left...should be up this weekend. WARNING: Slight tissue alert for the soft-hearted!

* * *

Jack took in the scene, a smile playing on his lips. They looked so right together, it was uncanny, but it caused an ache deep inside at what he would be missing out on in the future. He caught Sam's eyes and the smile died on his lips. She was looking at him with such intensity that it caused his heart to skip a beat and forced him to look behind him, thinking perhaps one of the Jaffa was standing behind him. Seeing nothing, he looked back at her in question but found her features schooled once again. He let his gaze move to Grace, who was looking at him almost as intently as Sam had just moments ago. If he didn't know better, he thought she was desperately trying to tell him something…something of utmost importance._

**Chapter 16 – Till We Meet Again**

Jack continued to lock gazes with the little girl named Grace; the child who would one day be his 2IC's daughter. Sam had leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, the rushed trek through the woods and maneuvering along the high ledge enough to drain the last vestiges of strength from her. That, along with her recent revelation as to Grace's parentage, forced her to let the exhaustion she had been holding at bay overtake her. As such, she was not witness to the looks that passed between the child and the older man.

As far as to who would win the staring contest between the two very worthy opponents, Jack never did get the opportunity to find out. Though as he thought about it, he duly acknowledged that the little girl could certainly hold her own! Two quick clicks from his radio drew Jack's attention away from the dark eyes that looked at him with such intensity, almost as if reading his soul. He turned away from the scrutinizing gaze as he keyed his radio and quietly replied. "O'Neill. T, that you?"

"Indeed, it is I O'Neill," came the equally quiet reply. "Are you and Major Carter well?"

"Just peachy, buddy. We've found a cave; just sitting around, roasting marshmallows and waiting for the Jaffa patrol to leave."

"I regret that we were unable to dispose of them O'Neill. I feared their demise would only bring more Jaffa to your area," Teal'c stated, ignoring the sarcastic remark about the fluffy white food that had no substance whatsoever. He never did understand why O'Neill liked to char the puffy squares over a fire; though the man seemed to enjoy charring most foods cooked over an open flame.

"No problem, T. You bought us enough time to find someplace to hide. They seem to have left the area for now; our position is secure. How about you and Danny? What's your position?"

"We have an ample distance yet to travel to the Stargate, but have yet to encounter more Jaffa patrol. I do not believe they will have a large contingent guarding the gate if they have arrived at the temple by ship, O'Neill."

"That's at least some good news. Get to the gate ASAP, then let me know the situation. I think Carter and I will sit tight until we hear from you," Jack added. He noticed how closely Sam was listening to the conversation, even though her eyes were closed. She had turned her head slightly in his direction and when Teal'c had mentioned that they hadn't encountered any Jaffa, her shoulders had visibly relaxed.

"As you wish, O'Neill," Teal'c stated before ending the transmission.

Jack let his own hand fall to his side after the conversation. Then, pushing away from the wall, he came over to where Sam and Grace still rested against the back wall of the cave. His body blocked what little light entered the cave, causing Sam to open her eyes and look up at him. "So, looks like we'll be staying for a while longer," he said, taking in her pale features with concern. He looked over to Grace. "You hanging around for a while?"

The dark intensity was gone from the child's eyes, replaced with a twinkling light. She smiled up at him. "I will stay with you for a while longer, sir." She looked over at Sam, the smile quickly replaced with a frown of concern. "My mother might still need me."

Sam smiled at the little girl before leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes. "I'll be OK, Grace. I'm just a little tired, that's all." Her eyes flew open as she remembered their situation. She sat up a bit straighter. "But I can take watch if you need to rest, sir," she insisted, though her voice still sounded weak.

Jack waved her off. "You rest, Carter. Once we hear from Teal'c, we're going to high-tail it back to the gate. I need you ready to go."

"Yes, sir," Sam replied, inwardly grateful that he was insisting that she rest. The morning's activities were quickly catching up with her.

"Here," Jack handed her his canteen and some power bars. "Eat something, both of you," he included Grace in his order. "It'll be at least 2 hours before we go; _you_ at least need to get your strength back, Carter. You," he grinned slightly down at the little girl, "I don't think you ever run out of energy. But you might as well eat something, just the same." He frowned now in contemplation, then spoke his thoughts out loud. "Although, I suppose if you're not technically _here yet_, you might not need to eat."

"I can eat," Grace assured him before she took the proffered Power Bar, her nose wrinkling in distaste. She looked back up at Jack. "But I don't think I like these. Do you have any chocolate?" she asked, one eyebrow going up in question. Jack absently wondered if Teal'c would be teaching her that little trick sometime in the future.

Sam chuckled out loud at the question, glancing in amusement at Jack, who just shrugged his shoulders. "I think I've got something you might like, Grace," she replied, digging into the pack beside her and pulling out a chocolate bar.

Grace's grin lit up her face as she took the candy bar from Sam's hands. "Hey! You're not going to share?" Jack asked, a look of dejection on his face.

A small giggle passed Grace's lips before she broke off a piece of chocolate and held the morsel up to him, her hand outstretched as far as it could go. Jack took it with a smile and popped it into his mouth, closing his eyes in exaggerated pleasure. "Um. Now, if your mother would offer _me_ more treats like that, I'd be one happy man!"

"And fat!" Grace giggled once again, Sam joining in.

Jack frowned at both of them, then stated in a mock-serious tone, "Ok, ladies. Stop giggling; that's an order." The giggles stopped but the smiles remained. "Get some rest Carter; that's also an order. I'll be by the entrance, watching for snakes," he indicated the opening of the cave with a crook of his thumb. He smiled to himself as he walked away, hearing Grace quietly ask Sam, "Can snakes crawl up cliffs?"

-------

Forty-five minutes later, Jack looked over at the two figures huddled under the blanket against the back wall of the cave. Grace's head was barely visible above the blanket but he could see how closely she was pressed against Sam. He had covered them both a half hour ago, not at all surprised that Carter hadn't even opened her eyes when he placed the blanket over her sleeping form. She had looked exhausted and Jack was beginning to get concerned that she wouldn't be able to make it back on her own. He really didn't want to risk having another team come this far in to help extract them; the less attention they garnered from the Jaffa, the better in his opinion. If whatever Goa'uld found out they were here, he knew they would be pursued until the Goa'uld got what he wanted; or was killed in the process. He had no problem with the latter scenario, but didn't want to risk anyone from the SGC; especially the blond woman currently sleeping. If there was going to be any chance for Grace to exist in the future, he had to make sure her mother stayed alive and healthy.

Jack turned back to the opening, his gaze roaming to the far side of the ravine and back, staying alert for the presence of Jaffa. While he sat against the wall, his P-90 resting in his lap, he thought about all that had occurred the past few days, Grace's presence in particular. There was now no doubt in his mind that she was Sam's daughter, although the how and why of it still continued to boggle his mind, so he chose not to dwell on that aspect of it. But if he let his mind dwell on other things, namely when Grace would be born and who her father would be, he felt his stomach clench in agitation. So he tried not to think about that too much either. Part of him was happy for her; Sam deserved to have a normal life and would make a wonderful mother – that much was already apparent in the short amount of time he had seen them together. But the other part of him; well that part was a knot of jealousy that didn't seem to want to go away.

He was startled from his musings by a small hand being placed on his arm. His eyes shot to the little girl in surprise; he hadn't even heard her come up to him. "Hey," he said softly in greeting, wondering why she had come over to him.

Grace looked deeply into his eyes, then sat down next to him and looked out at the scene before her. "I have to go soon. My time here is nearly over."

Jack glanced back at Sam, who was still sleeping deeply. Grace followed his gaze. "I will say good-bye to my mother before I go. She will be sad," the child stated matter-of-factly. "But don't worry; she is strong and will be fine."

"Yeah, I know. What about you?" Jack asked quietly. "Where will you go?"

Grace smiled and shrugged. "I will return from where I came. I will wait until the time is right for me to join my parents in this world."

Jack took in the upturned face, marveling at the beauty, the wisdom, and the sheer essence of life he saw before him. He had to look away quickly, as emotions threatened to overwhelm him. Clearing his throat purposefully, he said, "You are going to make your parents very happy, you know. They are going to be so lucky to have you in their lives."

She smiled beautifully up at him and placed her hand on his arm once again. "I am looking forward to that time, very much. My family will love me a whole lot!"

He looked away, saying gruffly, "I have no doubt about that, kiddo."

Grace got to her knees in front of him and placed her hands on either side of his face. The intent look in her eyes caught him by surprise. "Your family will love you lots as well," she insisted.

Jack was about to bark out, "What family?" But before he could, they were both drawn to the voice coming from the back of the cave. "Grace?" Sam called quietly, confused that the child wasn't next to her. Grace looked back at Jack, gave him a spontaneous hug, then stood up and went back to her mother's side. Jack watched her go, the ache in his heart intensifying three-fold.

"I'm here mommy," Grace said softly as she knelt next to Sam's side.

Sam blinked her eyes several times, trying to clear her mind. "I thought…I thought you left again," she said softly.

"Not yet," Grace smiled at her, then handed her the canteen so Sam could get a drink of water. "But I have to go soon." The two of them shared a look of deep sadness at the news.

Jack came over and squatted down in front of them. He gently placed his hand on Sam's forehead, testing for fever. When he felt cool skin under his touch, he let his hand fall away but remained crouched in front of her. "You OK?" he asked with concern. She was still pale but at least had more color in her cheeks than earlier.

Sam gave an effort to smile reassuringly at him, still finding it difficult to hold his gaze for long. "I'm fine sir. Sorry about sleeping so long. Any news from Teal'c?"

"Not yet," Jack settled onto the ground next to her, Grace on Sam's other side. "I'd guess we have another hour to wait, give or take. You want something to eat?"

"No thank you sir." She looked back and forth between Grace and Jack, wondering at the intent way Jack was looking at the little girl. She wondered if Grace had mentioned…something important to him. Sam glanced at him from the corner of her eye, unable to read his expression. But she didn't think he had had a recent revelation about this child, not like she had. How or when would she ever bring that little tidbit up? she reflected, before resolutely pushing the thoughts aside. Now wasn't the time. "So, what were you two doing while I was sleeping?" she asked innocently, determined to draw them out.

Jack and Grace looked at each other, each trying to think of a suitable answer. Jack came up with one first. "Not a whole lot, Carter. Your kid is kinda closed mouthed when it comes to talking about the future…or where she came from in the first place."

Grace's light brown eyebrows creased into a frown. "You know I can't…"

Jack brushed her answer aside. "I know, I know. You can't tell us anything…something about Grandfather clocks and all." He purposefully botched the expression, glad to see both ladies smile at the mistake, but neither one tried to correct him. "As Daniel has so eloquently pointed out to me several times: I have a penchant for asking bad questions," he continued, a rueful expression on his face. "I just don't understand why I can't get straight answers at least _some_ of the time!" He looked meaningfully at Grace

"Uncle Danny told me that there are never bad questions, only bad answers," Grace declared sincerely.

Jack quirked an eyebrow at Sam. "_Uncle_ Danny?" The moniker she'd added to Daniel's name not only surprised him, it also caused another wave of jealousy to course through him.

Grace looked up at him, slightly puzzled at his tone of voice. "Yes. Uncle Danny and Uncle Teal'c teach me lots of things; mommy says they dote on me!" she added with an impish grin.

Frowning in thought, Jack said softly, "So, let me get this straight. You know _Uncle_ Danny and _Uncle_ Teal'c really well. See them a lot I gather." At her hesitant nod of confirmation, he continued. "But I'm still…sir, huh? Not even Uncle Jack?" his impassive features belying the hurt tone behind his words.

Grace's face fell as she looked at Sam, then back at Jack, the indecision clearly etched on her face. "I'm…I'm sorry." She looked down at her lap. "I shouldn't have said what I did," she whispered sadly. "I'm not 'posed to talk about the future."

"Hey, no sweat, kid." Jack stood and brushed the dirt off his legs, needing to move away in case he said or did something stupid. "I'd better check around a bit on the ledge. See if the coast is clear yet. Stay put," he included both of them in his order, though he wouldn't meet either one's gaze before he walked back to the opening of the cave and onto the ledge. Jack took a deep breath of the late morning air, trying to get control of his feelings. He couldn't believe how hurt he felt to know that, sometime in the future, Sam would let Daniel and Teal'c into her child's world, but he would most likely be left out in the cold.

Back in the cave, Grace's head still hung down, feelings of sadness and shame overwhelming the little girl. Sam's eyes had followed Jack out to the ledge; his stiff posture indicating how tightly he was trying to control his feelings. She sighed; should she go to him and try to explain what she suspected; why he would never be _Uncle Jack_ to the little girl? Indecisive, Sam was drawn back to the child beside her, who was sniffling back tears. Placing her hand under Grace's chin, she drew her head up. Sam was momentarily taken aback by the look of utter despair in the child's eyes.

"Oh Grace. Honey, it's OK. I know you didn't mean to hurt Colonel O'Neill's feelings."

Grace sniffled again. "But he's mad at me, mommy. I don't want him angry with me."

"Oh sweetheart," Sam drew her closer. "He's not mad at you. If anything, he's mad at me. He probably thinks I don't want him to be a part of your life. That maybe…your father is someone…else. But that's not the truth, is it?" she asked quietly.

Grace shook her head imperceptibly, but wouldn't say a word. She studied Sam carefully and saw the realization shining out of her mother's eyes. Grace blinked: she hoped she wouldn't get in trouble for this. Though she hadn't told her mother anything outright, Grace was still a bit apprehensive.

"Do you think…you should say something to him before you go?" Sam asked gently.

"I can't," Grace whispered, not meeting Sam's eyes. The child then rubbed at her eyes, wiping away the remnants of her tears and looked over at the figure of the man who stood outside the cave on the ledge. After a minute spent in silence, she looked back at Sam. "I have to go now, mommy. They don't think I should stay any longer."

Sam's face blanched at the news; she was just getting to know this remarkable child and now she had to leave. "I wish you could tell me how…you come to be. But I know you can't," she added quickly when she saw Grace look away. "Can you tell me when I will see you again?"

The child smiled softly in reply. "When the time is right, I will return." Sam nodded knowingly and smiled back.

The smile faded as Grace looked again at Jack, who had heard her declare that it was time to leave. He had glanced back at the two of them, then walked out of the cave to offer them some privacy, not wanting to intrude on Sam's final moments with the child. The soulful brown eyes turned back to Sam. "You will have to make many difficult decisions before my time comes. You must listen to your heart, mommy. Promise me you will?"

Blue eyes stared into brown for several long moments before Sam nodded her head in agreement. As one, they came together and clung to each other, each wishing the moment could last forever. Finally, Grace pulled away, smiled gently and kissed Sam on the cheek. "I love you, mommy. Don't ever forget."

Sam blinked back tears. "I won't Grace, I won't. I'll think of you every day until we meet again." She embraced the child once more before reluctantly letting her go. Sam looked over at Jack. "You should say good-bye to him, too. He'll miss you as well."

Grace nodded and stepped back. Sam rose to her feet and crossed her arms in front of her, trying to still the trembling she felt within her body. Whispering, "Good-bye, mommy," Grace turned and walked slowly out of the entrance of the cave. Sam covered her mouth with her hand and let out a soft cry as she watched her child walk away.

------

Jack was leaning against the side of the cliff, looking off to the east. His mind was in turmoil, wondering what he could possibly do in the future to cause a rift between himself and Sam. Perhaps her marrying another man did it. Yeah, he could definitely see that happening, he thought ruefully. Of course, he could be dead…that would certainly explain why he wasn't known as Uncle Jack. He was pulled from his musings by a gentle tug on the back of his jacket.

Jack turned quickly and saw the little girl looking up at him, remnants of tears still in her eyes. He studied her carefully for a few moments before offering her a slight smile. "Hey, kiddo. Time to go back to the Emerald city?"

A smile briefly crossed her face at the reference before she sobered once more. Looking down at her feet, she said, "I…I'm sorry I made you mad. I didn't…I didn't mean to." Her lowered lip trembled at the words that tumbled from her mouth.

His heart clenching painfully, Jack squatted down to her level. "Hey, I'm not mad at you, sweetheart. Just myself." He cupped her face in his hands. "I just hate the idea that Daniel and Teal'c are in your life but I'm not. You are so special, Grace. You're so much like your mother – smart, strong, beautiful. I can't stand knowing that I'm left out…and not even… a small part of your life," he admitted, his voice catching on the words.

"But I already told you, your family will love you a whole bunch. You won't be alone," Grace insisted.

He laughed bitterly, "This old heart of mine is too beat up to offer much love anymore." His hands went to her shoulders and squeezed lightly.

"Don't say that! It's not true! My daddy once told me …" she stopped abruptly, eyes pained as if in indecision, before she continued less ardently. "He said: _A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others_. I _know_ you are loved by lots of people and will be happy again one day."

Jack frowned; he knew that quote came from The Wizard of Oz. In fact, this little munchkin seemed to know an awful lot about the Wizard of Oz. Jack's face showed his confusion as he began to slowly process a few things about this child that had been staring him in the face.

Grace bit her lower lip as she watched the emotions cross his face, a look of indecision crossing her own. She seemed frozen for a many long seconds before her features cleared and a look of steely determination came over her. Jack sat back on his heels, dropping his hands to his lap and marveling at the change. She reminded him so much of Charlie at that moment that he was momentarily stunned speechless. The look his son would get when he was trying to convince his parents of something was almost exactly like Grace's right now. He started to feel a bit dizzy, his head swimming in a mixture of hope and confusion.

Grace placed her little hands on either side of his face now, leaned her forehead against his and whispered, "You _will_ be a part of my life. You will." Then she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Jack returned the hug, his heart hammering as the hope he had just felt began to blossom more fully inside of him.

Placing her face in the crook of his neck, Grace pressed a kiss there. She drew back slightly, put her lips to his ear, and whispered softly, "Take care of mommy for me. I love you…daddy."

Jack closed his eyes tightly, a single tear making its way down his cheek at her words and a smile lighting his face. He returned the hug with renewed fervor, cradling the back of her small head in his large hand. He pulled back when he felt her arms loosen from around him. They looked at each other in silent understanding for a few moments before Grace raised her hand to his face to brush away the tear. Jack covered her hand with his, turned her palm and kissed it softly. "I'll be waiting for you, Grace," he whispered, before he reluctantly let her go.


	17. Worth Fighting For

_Jack closed his eyes tightly, a single tear making its way down his cheek atGrace's words and a smile lighting his face. He returned the hug with renewed fervor, cradling the back of her small head in his large hand. He pulled back when he felt her arms loosen from around him. They looked at each other in silent understanding for a few moments before Grace raised her hand to his face to brush away the tear. Jack covered her hand with his, turned her palm and kissed it softly. "I'll be waiting for you, Grace."_

**Chapter 17 – Worth Fighting For**

Jack continued to stare out beyond the curve of the cliff long after Grace had disappeared from view. His mind was working hard to accept the things his heart, and Grace, had told him; namely that the father of that rather precocious child was none other than yours truly. He shook his head ruefully, a rather smug grin crossing his features. He was going to be a father…again. With both Cater and himself as her parents, people wouldn't stand a chance against one Grace O'Neill. Or would she be Grace Carter-O'Neill?

At the thought of Carter, the grin was wiped from his face to be replaced by one almost bordering on fear. While he had been thrilled beyond belief to learn he was Grace's father, he hadn't taken the time to think about her mother, and the rather obvious, _huge_ changes that would have to come about in their relationship to make this all possible. As he stood there deep in thought, the ramifications beginning to overwhelm him, he felt rather than heard the woman of his thoughts come up and stand beside him.

"She's gone, isn't she?" came the quietly voiced question. Jack glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, saw the tracks of tears on her cheek, and quickly shot his eyes forward. He really wasn't good at this talking stuff, especially when the other person was in tears.

"Yep," he confirmed, unsure what else to say. Did he attempt to reveal what he had just learned? Did Carter already know? If she didn't, was it his place to tell her…and when? Part of him wanted to take her in his arms and hold her close, the other part wanted to revert to military mode and put everything out of his mind until he had time to think things through.

Unbeknownst to Jack, Sam was having the exact same thoughts; namely if she should tell him what she suspected, how much, and when. It just didn't seem appropriate to discuss right now. But if not now, when? And where? Would he even accept what she said, or would he brush her aside? Unknowingly, Sam sighed heavily, the deeply instilled military protocol warring heavily with her personal feelings at the moment.

Thinking the sigh was one of sadness at Grace's departure, Jack turned to her automatically. "Hey, you'll see her again one day, Carter. You do believe that, don't you?"

Sam turned to him, brushing absently at the last tear to trickle down her cheek, then folded her arms protectively across her chest. "Yes, I believe it; I believe _Grace_. It's just…hard," she said, looking into his eyes. "So much of this is really…hard," she reiterated.

Jack returned her gaze, searching her eyes for something, anything, that would tell him how to proceed. "No one ever said life would be easy, Carter. But you just keep fighting for what you know is right; for what you truly believe in." His eyes bored into hers and Sam felt something flutter to life within her. In his eyes, she saw a spark of knowledge; this man in front of her _knew_ how much he would factor into her future and that of her daughter.

"Do you…do you know what's worth fighting for?" She asked tentatively.

It didn't escape Jack's notice that she had refrained from addressing him as "Sir" these last few minutes, and that simple act told him more than words ever could. He smiled softly before he answered her question. "Yeah, I know what's worth fighting for. Have in fact recently been informed of something that I would go to the ends of the galaxy and back to find. Actually," he chuckled gently, "I think I just have."

Sam smiled in dawning understanding, then looked down, her cheeks flushing lightly. Jack stepped closer to her and did something he rarely had the chance to do; he placed his hand under her chin and drew her face up so that she was once again looking into his eyes. "Are _you_ willing to fight for it?" he asked, the question a light breeze that caressed her face. He held his breath as he waited for her answer.

Her eyes filled with trepidation, yet she nodded her head once in response, then added so quietly he could barely hear her, "Yes, Jack. I'm willing to fight for it."

His eyes and his heart lit up at the sound of his name on her lips; not Sir, not Colonel. Just plain old Jack. And it had never sounded better. He felt like he was flying and was amazed that something so simple as his name being uttered from her lips could make him feel this way. Jack came crashing back to reality with her next softly uttered words.

"But I'm afraid, too," she admitted. "I feel like…this all happened so suddenly. Neither one of us has had a chance to really…I don't know…think very deeply about it." She gazed at him with a stricken expression, then whispered, "What if you find out, you don't want to…be a father again? I'd never forgive myself if I found out you felt pushed into this by…what was she - a visitor from the future? A figment of both our imaginations?"

Jack hands moved to cup her cheeks and hold her steady. "Sam, stop it OK? Just stop it." His thumbs brushed at the errant tears that had escaped her eyes. "Yes, this happened rather suddenly, but it's not unwelcome. Far from it! Hell, it's something that I've dreamed about, but never imagined coming true. The chance of that was remote at best. And there is no doubt in my mind that she was real…will in fact _be_ real again, in hopefully a few short years." He sighed deeply, then continued, his expression earnest as he finally came out and said what they had been dancing around. "When I found out she was yours… God Sam! I was beside myself with jealousy, thinking about someone else being such an important part of your life and creating Grace with you. And when I though I wasn't even considered an honorary uncle, well, it tore me up inside," he admitted a bit shamefully.

Sam reached up and put her hands over his. She had never heard him talk so much at one time and was floored by his admissions. "I never would have shut you out, even if you weren't," she looked down, then back in his eyes. "Even if you weren't her father. You mean too much to me to just shut you out of my life," she stated vehemently.

Jack closed his eyes and leaned his head against hers. "Thank God we don't have to worry about that now. I was just so worried that…well," he pulled away and looked her in the eyes once again. "That Grace's father was going to be a cop from Denver," he winced even as he said it. Admitting to jealousy was so not his thing!

"Pete's not…was _never_ someone I could imagine spending my life with. I thought maybe, at first. I had fun; he made me happy. But he's not…you," she admitted quietly as she gave him a tremulous smile.

He smiled back and they studied each other in quiet contemplation for several minutes before Sam's face creased in a telltale sign that Jack knew all too well – she was thinking again. Sure enough: "But what about the regulations? Our positions within the SGC? What's going to happen when…"

"Sam," he interrupted her sternly. "Stop thinking so much, OK? It's not like we're going jump in bed together the minute we get back, and try to conceive Grace. Although I certainly wouldn't argue if we did," he added with a smirk and a rather rakish waggling of his eyebrows. Sam swatted his shoulder in reprimand, but her eyes lit with laughter. "We'll take some time, a _lot_ of time, and figure things out. Together. OK?"

Sam smiled softly at him, then nodded her head. "And no more thinking. That's an order," he added for good measure.

The smile remained as she replied, "I'll try not to." But she purposefully left of the "sir".

Jack studied her again carefully, then pulled her forward as he whispered, "Come 'ere." Sam went willingly into his arms, amazed to finally be in the place she had wanted to be for so long. Jack cupped her head in one hand, his other snaked around her waist to hold her close. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, taking in the scent that was uniquely Samantha Carter. "You are going to make one hell of a mother, you know that?" he whispered into her hair.

Sam chuckled into his neck, her arms tightening around his shoulders. "And you're going to make a wonderful father for Grace. I think she'll know everything there is to know about The Wizard of Oz by the time she's five."

"Don't forget about the Simpsons. She'll know even more about them," Jack replied adamantly.

"God help us all," Sam muttered in reply, rolling her eyes for good measure.

Jack pulled back and held her by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. "So, what do we tell the boys when we get back?" he asked, his eyebrows rising with a quirk. "Do we tell them, 'We met a little girl on this planet who helped us more than I let on. Oh, and by the way, you'll be her uncles one day'?"

Sam laughed at his choice of phrasing. "Well, I don't think we should go quite that far. Let's play it by ear, shall we? Just let them know enough to answer their questions. I mean, we really can't explain her, can we? Not without sounding…"

"Crazy? Loco? A few fries short of a happy meal?" Jack supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, something like that," Sam agreed with a grin. Jack's smiled died on his face as he looked at this beautiful woman. And though he was teetering on a fine line with the regs, he did something else that he had waited a long time to do; he pulled her close for a soft, gentle kiss that was filled, not with passion, but with promise, longing, and love. Sam returned the kiss, hesitantly at first but then she finally let her feelings show in her response.

Teal'c chose that moment to make contact with the other half of his team. "O'Neill. We have safely reached the gate. What is your position?"

Jack pulled back from Sam and whispered with a grin, "Should I tell him my position is currently pressed up against my 2IC?" Sam blushed and pushed him away, her voice a mixture of embarrassment and admonition as she replied, "Colonel!" Jack chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement, before he reached up to his radio to answer Teal'c.

"We're still in the cave, T. Everything OK on your little jaunt through the woods?"

"Indeed, O'Neill. We did not encounter any Jaffa patrols and the gate was unobstructed. I have sent Daniel Jackson through and am waiting for SG-3 to return. I shall return with them to the cave and assist you and Major Carter back to the gate, if you so desire."

Jack looked at Sam briefly at the word _desire_, then forced himself to look away. _Must stay focused,_ he told himself. Sam didn't miss the look and glanced away as her blush deepened. "Everything's been clear here for a while, T. We'll start heading back and meet you halfway. I'll let you know if anything…unexpected happens." He shot a grin across to where Sam was now leaning against the cliff wall.

"Will Major Carter be able to make the hike back unaided, O'Neill?" Jack and Sam could both hear the concern in the man's voice. Sam nodded reassuringly at him before he answered.

"Yeah, Teal'c. Carter's going to be just fine," he assured his friend. "See you in a while. O'Neill out." Jack clicked off the radio and looked her up and down, no longer smiling but studying her with concern. "You sure you're going to be OK Carter? It's a long way back." Although he had fallen back to their military forms of address, the tone of his voice conveyed more intimacy than he had ever allowed before.

Sam smiled back. "I'll be fine, Sir. Maybe a bit slower, but fine." She grinned now. "The slow pace will give me lots of time to think."

"Augh! What did I just say about thinking Carter?"

----

The hike back was long and arduous; Jack made sure to take many stops and insisted on taking most of the items out of Sam's pack and placing them in his own. He stayed close to her side, but tried not to overdo the protective thing. It wasn't easy but he managed. Jack also made sure that the conversation was kept light; he didn't want either of them to try and figure out the future quite yet. There'd be plenty of time for that later.

They had just emerged from the copse of trees and begun their trek into the more swampy area of the planet, when they met up with Teal'c and half of SG-3. The other two members of the team had been left back to guard the gate, just in case.

"T! Buddy! Good to see you again!" Jack exclaimed as they neared each other.

Teal'c bowed, a small smile gracing his normally impassive features. "O'Neill. It is good to see you once again." He turned to Sam. "Major Carter, you are looking well. Are you injuries bothering you?"

"Not too much, Teal'c. My side's a bit sore, but otherwise I'm OK. Colonel O'Neill has been making sure I don't overdo it this time around," she replied with a smile. "He won't even let me think."

"And look at the good it's done you, Carter. You're not so pale, not breathing hard, and you're smiling. See, thinking's not all it's cracked up to be." Sam shook her head but refrained from offering a comeback.

Teal'c glanced at Jack out of the corner of his eye, wondering at the change he felt flowing between the two of them. He cocked his head in thought before returning to the present. Disregarding the changed atmosphere for the moment, he stated, "Daniel Jackson is most anxious for your return. He did not wish to leave this planet not knowing when you would arrive safely at the gate." He straightened up slightly. "I was able to persuade him otherwise."

Jack's eyebrows rose at that comment and he shared an amused glance with Sam before returning his attention to Teal'c. "You can be real persuasive when you put your mind to it, big guy."

Teal'c looked the other man over carefully, before cryptically replying, "Indeed." Jack gulped; he had a feeling Teal'c would be 'persuading' him to reveal more about this mission than he had originally intended.

Inwardly shuddering at the thought, Jack turned to SG-3. "Nice of you to join us, guys. But I think we're ready to head home." He swatted at the bugs that began to congregate around his head. "And the sooner the better. It's feeding time and I don't think we want to be the main course." He looked around, noticing no one else was being bothered by the incessant insects. "Well, at least_ I_ don't want to be the main course," he amended.

The five members of the SGC turned and began the trek to the gate, Teal'c taking Sam's pack without a word and leading the way. Sam looked at Jack, shrugged her shoulders, and followed the large man through the high grasses. She smiled to herself as they walked and worked hard not to laugh at the slapping noises that were coming from directly behind her. It seemed as if the insects had started the first course of their meal! Without a word, Teal'c reached into his vest, pulled out a can of insect repellant, and tossed it back to the complaining Colonel. Sam had to cough to cover a laugh as Jack grumbled about man-eating bugs while he liberally sprayed himself with repellant.

After a rather slow and uneventful walk, they finally came within sight of the Stargate. The other two members of SG-3 stood on either side of the gate, both still alertly guarding the gate. They greeted the returning members, then turned to dial up the gate when Colonel Reynolds gave the command.

The long walk in the heat had started to get to Sam and she was showing definite signs of weariness. Her features had begun to pale and her face dripped with sweat. Though she hadn't complained, Jack knew she was wiped out and didn't want to waste any time; he just wanted to get through the gate and get her to the infirmary. But he felt he should say something to her before they left…he just didn't know what exactly.

Jack nodded to SG-3, who stood waiting for his signal, to go ahead of them once the gate had been activated and the code had been sent through. He and Sam followed Teal'c up the stones steps to the gate's entrance. Teal's turned around to look at Jack, noticing the man's hesitation and the look of indecision on his face. The Jaffa was certain something had happened between the warriors and as such, was willing to give them a few moments of privacy. "I will go ahead and ensure the medical team has arrived for Major Carter, O'Neill."

Jack gave him a grateful smile and returned the slight nod Teal'c directed his way. When Teal'c had disappeared through the event horizon, Sam turned to face Jack, a question lighting her eyes.

Looking away for a moment trying to gather his thoughts, Jack turned back to her and gave her a soft smile. "I just wanted to say, however strange this whole thing has been," he waved his hand around to encompass their surroundings, "Well, I think everything's going to turn out OK, Carter. It might take a while, but…well; I think it's going to be worth the wait."

He waited anxiously for a response from her, his heart speeding up in the process. He wanted nothing more than to take her back in his arms, but he wouldn't. As long as they were still on the same team, he would not cross that line again. It would be enough for him to know that she was willing to wait as long as he was to have Grace in their lives again…for good this time.

After a momentary pause in which Sam took in his words, she smiled softly and replied, "So do I, Sir. I'm willing to wait however long it takes…but hopefully not too long. Neither one of us is getting any younger, you know," she added with an impish grin that reminded him so much of Grace.

"Don't worry, Carter. I have no intention of waiting too long!" he replied with a chuckle. He brushed a stray lock of hair off her face before straightening up. "Well, Danny's waiting on the other end; with endless questions, no doubt. We'd better head back."

"Yes, sir," Sam agreed. As she was about to turn and enter the Stargate, something caught her eye at the edge of the clearing. Turning, she looked back and a gentle smile graced her features. Jack, seeing the direction her eyes had gone, followed suit and smiled as well.

For standing at the edge of the clearing, her white dress billowing in the slight breeze, stood Grace. She pushed away the stray stands of curly hair that blew across her face and tucked them behind her ear, then raised her hand and waved. When Jack and Sam responded in kind, her face broke into a huge grin. Then she turned and skipped off into the woods, her voice carrying across the clearing as she sang, "_Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue…"_

Jack and Sam lowered their hands at the same time and turned to look at each other, smiles of love and promise lighting their features. As they turned to enter the Stargate, Jack let Sam proceed him, then turned back to gaze once more to where the child had disappeared. He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out the white satin ribbon, caressing it gently before carefully putting it back.

As he entered the gate, he could be heard whispering to himself, "Definitely worth fighting for."

The End

* * *

_Well, this got much more shippy than I had originally intended but, where the muse goes, one must follow! I wanted to thank everyone once again for all of the wonderful reviews...they really keep me inspired and writing! I know several of you will ask for an epilogue but I strongly feel that this is a good place to end it...with you imagining when and how they finally have Grace in their lives. Besides, I need to visit Jack, Sam, JJ and Grace from A Mother's Love and_ _A Father's Determination_ _and see how they are faring! So many people have asked for a glimpse back into their lives that I feel compelled to write about them!_

_Thanks again and please let me know what you thought of the ending! God Bless - Janissima_


End file.
